PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS 



ON THE 



BOOK OF RUTH 

REV. M. C. HORINE, A. M., 

Pastor of St. James' Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 

BY 

REV. ELI HUBER, D. D., 

Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, Pa. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY 



f's^y 1 



Copyright, 1892, 



The Lutheran Publication Society. 






to t$t Jgotrotef txf ano t$t $oor. 



LC Control Number 



tmp96 027378 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introduction 5 

Preface 9 



CHAPTER I. 

EEIMEEECH 15 

CHAPTER II. 
Ruth's Resoeve 23 

CHAPTER III. 
Naomi's Return to Bethlehem 33 

CHAPTER IV. 
Geeaning in the Fieed of Boaz 49 

CHAPTER V. 
Boaz Meeting Ruth 65 



CHAPTER VI. 

Ruth's Return to Naomi 83 

(iii) 



IV CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Engagement 95 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Removing L,egae Hinderances 103 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Marriage ....113 



INTRODUCTION. 



The discourses that make up the little volume 
before us were prepared by a well-known L,utheran 
pastor for the members of his own congregation. 
They are based on continuous sections of the Book 
of Ruth; and they gain not a little advantage from 
the fact that they have for their foundation a por- 
tion of the Divine word so full of interest and so 
rich in material for useful instruction. A masterly 
discourse must have a great subject. 

That the Book of Ruth is interesting is a univer- 
sally acknowleged fact. The story it tells holds 
the attention from first to last. The characters it 
delineates awaken sympathy in all hearts. The 
pictures it paints are specially attractive and afford 
enjoyment to young and old, to cultured and rude. 
The scene in which Ruth makes known her unal- 
terable purpose to cleave to Naomi, let come what 
will, is one of surpassing tenderness and loveliness. 
"Its exquisite and pathetic beauty," says Samuel 
Cox, "has been recognized from of old, and has 
inspired painter after painter, musician after musi- 
cian; while Ruth's famous reply to Naomi's dis- 
(5) 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

suasive entreaties takes high rank among the sen- 
tences the world will not willingly let die." 

That the Book of Ruth is also well suited for 
useful practical instruction all competent teachers 
will admit. The facts it records embody principles 
and suggest lessons of rare value in giving direc- 
tion and support in the various relations and situa- 
tions of life. They serve a specially useful purpose 
in strengthening and sustaining the human spirit 
in seasons of misfortune and discouragement. The 
two women whose Mstory is related are themselves 
exposed to a trial of unusual severity. They have 
lost husband and property. They are childless and 
friendless. Yet are they patient and hopeful, and 
willing to help themselves in every possible way, 
however hard or humiliating. For their patient 
endurance they are in due time rewarded with 
honor, peace, love, rest and abundance. 

Now of these facts and principles our author has 
taken wise advantage, and has employed them with 
much skill in accomplishing the high and noble 
purpose he has in view. 

As concerns the facts, he has presented them in 
a clear, connected and orderly way, and furnishes 
the explanatory information needful to enable the 
reader to bring them distinctly, fully and correctly 
before the mind. 

The circumstance recorded in the 3d chapter, 
concerning Ruth's visit at night to the threshing- 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

floor of Boaz and laying herself at his feet, is one 
that is difficult to explain. Such able expositors as 
James Morrison and Samuel Cox admit this and say 
that the incident is of a nature to require very deli- 
cate handling. Notwithstanding, our author has 
disposed of this difficult and delicate subject in a 
wholly satisfactory manner, and has shown that 
there was nothing whatsoever in the conduct of 
Ruth that was improper or immodest, when con- 
sidered and judged according to the customs of the 
times and the peculiar law that regulated the mar- 
riage of a childless widow to the nearest kinsman 
of her deceased husband. 

As to the lessons which the facts are calculated 
to teach, these too are diligently pointed out and 
appropriately applied to the various circumstances 
and conditions of life. One of the avowed objects 
of the writer is to speak words of encouragement 
to persons in humble position, who, in addition to 
the depressing influence of straitened circumstan- 
ces, are often still further exposed to the disheart- 
ening effect produced by the neglect and contempt 
of their more fortunate neighbors. This noble 
purpose is consistently kept in view, and many a 
word of cheer is spoken that ought to fill the hearts 
of the desponding with joy and hope and fresh de- 
termination. 

That the author has gone over the whole book of 
Ruth in his expositions and reflections is a circum- 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

stance that strongly recommends his work to onr 
favorable judgment. The Scriptures are too gener- 
ally studied only in a fragmentary way and in de- 
tached portions. To their proper understanding 
and due appreciation, the books of the Bible require 
to be read and considered as a whole and in contin- 
uity. Thus only is it possible to perceive their 
general drift and purpose, and to lay hold of the 
clue that leads to a right interpretation of the sev- 
eral parts. Summing up, then, we are prepared to 
give it as our opinion that the writer of these dis- 
courses on Ruth was very happy in the selection 
of the Scriptures on which to base them — that in the 
handling of the facts and truths furnished him by 
his text he has accomplished the kind and benevo- 
lent purpose he had in view — and that he has given 
us a book that, by its valuable thought and its easy, 
flowing style, is calculated both to please and profit 
the reader. We commend it heartily to all, and 
especially to the young, and we sincerely pray that 
the blessing of the Lord may accompany it where- 
ever it goes. 

Eli Huber, Pastor, 
Messiah Lutheran Church, 
Philadelphia, Pa. 



PREFACE. 



The educated reader is furnished with a suffi- 
cient number of critical works on the different 
books of the Bible, but there is still room for other 
works on the practical lessons of the Divine* Word, 
which may be useful alike to the learned and to 
those of' more moderate attainments. In this direc- 
tion the source of instruction and improvement is 
inexhaustible. The Bible is a perennial fountain 
which sends out a continuous stream of living 
water to refresh the thirsting souls of weary men. 
From this fountain every one may draw, without 
diminishing its fullness. Indeed, the Holy Scrip- 
tures are so full of meaning and so suggestive of 
important truths and duties that the thoughtful 
reader may find abundant material for practical 
and useful instruction. It was in this frame of 
mind that the author of this unpretentious book 
endeavored to read the charming story of Ruth. 
His aim has been to present his reflections in such 
terms as, first of all, to attract attention to this beau- 
tiful idyl and create an interest in it, believing 
that no better service can be rendered any one than 
to awaken in him a love of God's word and an inter- 
(9) 



IO PREFACE. 

est in its saving truths. He had a further purpose 
also of drawing attention to the virtues of Ruth, 
and of raising in the minds of others, and espe- 
cially of the poor and lowly, a feeling of high self- 
respect, of unwavering faith in God, of cheerful 
hope in days of adversity, and of abiding convic- 
tion that true nobility of character, true piety and 
worth, may be found among those who tread the 
humble walks of life, as well as among the more 
famed sons and daughters of men. He believes 
that there is great need of the inculcation and fos- 
tering of such sentiments, especially among the 
poor and unfortunate of our large cities. The 
humble, and often the menial station which they 
are compelled to occupy, and the proud indiffer- 
ence and neglect with which they are so often 
treated by the rich and prosperous, tend to degrade 
such persons in their own esteem, to lead them to 
feel that they are of little account, and to cause 
them to lose sight of the fact that they have in 
themselves a sacred and priceless treasure which 
they are faithfully to guard and keep. No greater 
injury can be done to any struggling fellow mortal 
than to destroy his self-respect, and scarcely can 
a more valuable service be rendered him than to 
make him feel his manhood — or her womanhood 
— make him appreciate, amid the most adverse cir- 
cumstances, the high endowments of soul which 
God has given him. 



PREFACE. II 

The author believes that this life is only the be- 
ginning of life in its lower stage, and the prepara- 
tion for the higher and perfect life which is to have 
no end. To those who fear God and trust in Him, 
adversities and afflictions help to work a fitness for 
the greater glory and blessedness in the world to 
come. These adversities and afflictions are some- 
times the forerunners of singular advancement to 
stations of ease and honor even in this life. "He 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted." It is 
often the way of Divine Providence to train and 
discipline, by trials and sorrows, those whom He 
intends to raise to positions of trust and honor. 
The very conditions of which we may complain, 
are just the tests and means by which a kind 
Father is qualifying us for higher and better things. 
To fail in this process of trial and training is to 
miss the great prize which is before us. If our 
thoughts are allowed to dwell too much on oiir 
present situation, so that we rate ourselves accord- 
ing to our poor and discouraging surroundings, we 
will be apt to underestimate ourselves, and fail to 
rise, through privations and sufferings, to the ex- 
alted place, either in this life or in the life to come, 
to which God designs to raise us. He would have 
the reader keep in view the great end of all trial 
and discipline on earth, and never forget the 
"glory, honor and immortality" which may be 
obtained in heaven. "It doth not yet appear what 



12 PREFACE. 

we shall be." His aim is to hold the reader's at- 
tention to this sublime truth. 

It is mainly with this end in view that these 
pages were written, and if what he has here said 
should inspire any heart which is oppressed with 
sorrow and the burdens and bitterness of poverty, 
to be trusting, cheerful, hopeful, courageous and 
virtuous amid all the discouragements and toils of 
a dependent, lowly life, the author will not regret 
the time and labor which he has given in their 
preparation. In the humble hope that they may 
be of some use to others, and bring some honor to 
God, these reflections are sent out to the public. 

For the convenience of the reader, as much of 
the sacred text is printed on the page, or pages, 
preceding each chapter, as comes within the scope 
of that chapter. This arrangement will also assist 
materially in understanding what follows. The 
text is given according to the revised version. 

M. C. H. 

Reading, Pa. , Janttary jo, 1892. 



ELIMELECH. 



RUTH i: 1-5. 

And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that 
there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-le- 
hem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his 
wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elim- ■ 
elech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his 
two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Bphrathites of Beth-le-hem- 
judah. And they came into the county of Moab, and continued 
there. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died ; and she was left, 
and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of 
Moab ; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the 
other Ruth ; and they dwelled there about ten years. And 
Mahlon and Chilion died both of them ; and the woman was 
left of her two children and of her husband. 



CHAPTER I. 

EUMELECH. 

G|HE Book of Ruth is one of the brightest 
I gerns of sacred biography. It abounds in 
beautiful, touching and interesting inci- 
dents, and whilst it charms and pleases the reader, 
it at the same time instructs and improves him. 
It has all the attraction and interest of romance, 
whilst it has al? the solid advantage of being real 
history. The principal character of this delightful 
Book is Ruth herself, whose excellent qualities, 
graceful conduct and varied fortunes invest her life 
with a romantic and an attractive interest. She 
was a woman of Moab, and was incorporated by 
marriage into the race of Israel. The Moabites 
were descendants of Lot, the nephew of iVbraham. 
Though they were widely separated, at the time of 
this marriage, in their religion and hopes, they 
sprang from the same stock of people. They had 
the same ancestry, who resided, previously to the 
call of Abraham, in Mesopotamia. They spoke the 
same language and had the same social customs. 
Yet these two tribes of people had very little inter- 
course with each other. This was owing partly to 
(15) 



1 6 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

their political condition. These tribes, together 
with many others, were frequently at war with 
each other. At that time no one great power ruled 
Syria, and there was almost constant irritation and 
bloodshed between the various tribes which occu- 
pied that country. But the chief cause of aliena- 
tion between these two kindred tribes was their 
religion. The descendants of Lot had become 
idolaters, while the children of Abraham retained 
the knowledge and worship of the true God. The 
descendants of Lot were excluded from the great 
promises of God, while the seed of Abraham pos- 
sessed these promises. This was a source of jeal- 
ousy on the one hand, and of pride on the other. 
Besides this, the spirit of the times was narrow and 
exclusive. The tribal feeling was very strong, and 
seldom were marriages contracted between persons 
of different tribes. They were very careful to pre- 
serve the pure blood of the ancestry which they 
severally boasted. All these causes operated to 
make these two races of people unfriendly towards 
each other, and to hinder them from entering into 
social relations with each other. 

This being the case, how was the marriage of 
Ruth with an Israelite brought about ? It came 
through the residence of Elimelech with his family 
in the land of Moab. Elimelech was of Bethlehem- 
Judah, a town subsequently distinguished as the 
birthplace of David and of Christ. His wife's 



BOOK OF RUTH. 1J 

name was Naomi, and his two sons were Chilion / 
and Mahlon. The cause of his removal was a v 
famine in -his own country. It occurred in the 
time of the Judges — most probably near the begin- 
ning of their rule over Israel. Circumstances point 
towards the time of Gideon, when the Midianites 
devastated the land and thereby caused famine. It 
could not have taken place late in the history of the 
Judges, as Boaz, who became the second husband 
of Ruth, was the son of Rahab, who had concealed 
Joshua's spies in Jericho at the beginning of the 
invasion of Palestine by the Israelites. As the 
residence of Elimelech lay near the boundaries of 
Moab, it was easy for him to migrate with his fam- 
ily to this neighboring people. It is questionable 
whether this movement was justifiable. As the 
head of a family, it was his undoubted duty to pro- 
vide for his own house. But whether the necessi- 
ties of the case were such as to justify him in re- 
moving among a strange people, and bringing his 
household into a community of idolaters, and de- 
priving them of religious intercourse and ordinan- 
ces among the people of God, does not appear. We 
are told farther on in this history that he "went 
out full." He seems to have been a prosperous 
man, and to have left his home not from a lack of 
the means of subsistence, but rather to secure his 
property from being plundered by the Midianites, 
who made occasional marauding incursions into 



l8 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

the land of Israel. It was not necessity that com- 
pelled this movement, but a desire to make ample 
possessions more secure. It seems to be an in- 
stance in which the removal was dictated by a 
worldly policy, without considering the social and 
religious bearings which were involved in it. The 
result of such a course is often the loss of both 
temporal and spiritual good. Like Lot, many re- 
move to rich countries, "well watered," to lose all 
their property in the common ruin of the ungodly, 
while they suffer still greater loss in the moral con- 
dition and religious hopes of themselves and their 
children. 

There are some good reasons why Elimelech 
should not have removed to the land of Moab. His 
family was small. He had but two sons, and these 
were grown up to the estate of manhood. If oth- 
ers could struggle through those times of scarcity, 
certainly he could have done so also. It only re- 
quired the practice of a little self-denial. Besides 
this, his sons were both weakly. Their names, 
given them in their infancy, show that they were 
never strongly constituted — Mahlon, "the sickly," 
and Chiliou, "the pining one." It was an unwise 
exposure of these delicate sons to remove from the 
healthful surroundings of their birthplace to which 
they were inured, into a country to whose sani- 
tary conditions they were unused. This step in- 
volved not only a sacrifice of religious privileges 



BOOK OF RUTH. 19 

and influences, but also a risk of health and life, 
either of which is too valuable to be given in ex- 
change for a little temporal comfort and gain. 

The events of Providence soon revealed this 
truth to this unfortunate household. Elimelech, 
whose name indicates the religious convictions of 
his parents who gave it him, for it signifies "My. 
God is King," soon dies and is buried in a land of 
strangers and idolaters. His wife and sons are 
alone in their grief — no friends being near to con- 
dole with them. Whoever has had this trial, knows 
how sad a lot it is to mourn over departed friends 
with no kindred hearts near to mingle their tears 
with his. But in time the sorrow of bereavement 
is somewhat alleviated, and the two sons marry 
daughters of Moab. Their names are given, and 
both are beautiful and expressive. In these names 
of a remote age, we can trace a delicacy of feeling 
and a parental fondness, so kindred to that which 
exists in our own bosoms, that the bare mention of 
them bridges over the long span of years and makes 
us feel our kinship with those people of ancient 
date and distant residence. Orpah, the "Fawn," 
was Chilion's wife, and Ruth, the "Friend," was 
the wife of Mahlon. But the joy of these two 
unions was of short duration. The bridal chamber 
is soon hung with mourning, for the two wives are 
ere long without husbands. Only the three widows 
remain. 



20 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

Sad and desolate, indeed, must have been these 
three hearts. But two of them at least, Naomi 
and Ruth, found support and comfort in GodX 
They recognized His hand in their bereavement 
and bowed in meek submission to His will. ^ 
Though the sacred account does not tell us this, we 
infer it from what we know of their religious faith 
and character. The Old Testament saints had the 
most sublime faith in Divine providence. When 
their friends and property were taken from them, 
they could say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the 
Lord." Perhaps there is no sorrow more painful 
than bereavement sorrow, and in no kind of afflic- 
tion is God's word fuller of comfort and hope. It 
is a kind of sorrow which comes to us all. Death 
is everywhere. There is no circle, however bright 
and happy and favored, on which it has not cast its 
dark shadow. But there is strong consolation for 
all those who have confidence in the unerring wis- 
dom and goodness of God. They know that what 
He does is best, and that He makes no mistakes. 
They are also confident that those who die in the 
Lord have gained the life eternal. 



RUTH'S RESOLVE. 



RUTH i: 6-18. 

Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might re- 
turn from the country of Moab ; for she had heard in the country 
of Moab how that the Lord had visited His people in giving 
them bread. And she went forth out of the place where she 
was, and her two daughters in law with her ; and they went on 
the way to return unto the laud of Judah. And Naomi said unto 
her two daughters in law, Go, return each of you to her mother's 
house : the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with 
the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find 
rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed 
them ; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they said 
unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. 
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters : why will ye go 
with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your 
husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way ; for I am 
too old to have an husband. If I should say I have hope, if I 
should even have an husband to-night, and should also bear 
sons ; would ye therefore tarry till they were grown ? would ye 
therefore stay from having husbands ? nay, my daughters ; for 
it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of the Lord is 
gone forth against me. And they lifted up their voice, and 
wept again : and Orpah kissed her mother in law ; but Ruth 
clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone 
back unto her people, and unto her God : return thou after thy 
sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, and 
to return from following after thee : for whither thou goest, 
I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge ; thy people 
shall be my people, and thy God my God : where thou diest, 
will I die, and there will I be buried : the Lord do so to me, 
and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. And when 
she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left 
speaking unto her. 



CHAPTER II. 

ruth's resolve. 

(3 I HE events related in the preceding- chapter 
were indeed a sad experience for Naomi. In 
a few years she buries her husband and two 
sons. She is alone in her sorrow, excepting the 
tender sympathy of her daughters in law, who, 
though their real relationship had ceased with the 
death of their husbands, continued with her, and 
by their devoted love, soothed and comforted her, 
and lightened the weight of her affliction. 

Under these mournful circumstances, it was but 
natural for Naomi to turn her thoughts to her kin- 
dred in her own land, and long again to converse 
with them, and to dwell amid the bright scenes of 
her early life, and of her former happiness. She 
heard that God was again gracious to her native 
country; that He had " visited it," and given them 
bread; and she resolved to return to it. She in- 
forms her daughters in law of her purpose. We 
may suppose that they endeavored to persuade her 
to remain with them. But her resolution to go 
back to the place of her childhood and youth could 
not be changed. She sets out with a heavv heart, 
(23) 



24 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

and they accompany her on her way. It is remark- 
able how they cling to her. Their conduct is not 
mere form or sentiment. It is the result of that 
conquest which the noble nature of Naomi had 
made of their affection. There must have been 
something in the character of Naomi which won 
and held the affection and devotion of her sons' 
wives. As her name indicates, she must have been 
"lovable." Her own sorrow had enriched her 
nature. She was unselfish and kind. She could 
mingle her tears with theirs over their common 
sorrows. She could comfort them with her sub- 
lime faith and hope in the living God. She pos- 
sessed the charm of goodness, of love, of sympathy, 
and with these golden affections she bound to her- 
self her new-made kinsfolk. 

But a new trial now springs up in her path. She 
desires to do the very best she can for the two noble 
women who so lately were the wives of her la- 
mented sons. She deems it best for them not to go 
with her to Bethlehem. She is herself poor. 
Their land, it seems, was mortgaged, and she may 
be unable to redeem it, or to find a kinsman to re- 
deem it. She has no hope of obtaining husbands 
for them from among her own people. She herself 
might not live long, and then they would be with- 
out a friend or means of support in a strange land. 
She knew the bitterness of such a lot, and she 
would spare them the sorrowful experience of it. 



BOOK OF RUTH. 25 

She has no inducements at all to hold out to them 
to go with her, and is able to promise them nothing 
but poverty, hardship and toil. So she thought- 
fully releases them from all feeling of obligation to 
remain with her. She is willing, for their own 
good, to forego the pleasure of their company and 
the comfort of their generous love and sympathy, 
and she counsels each to return to the house of her 
own mother, wdiere they would be protected and 
cared for. It was a sad hour for them all, for they 
were united by very tender and strong bonds of 
sympathy and affection. Naomi addressed them 
in the most affectionate and pious terms, saying, 
"Go, return each to her mother's house : the Lord 
deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the 
dead and with me. The Lord grant you that ye 
may find rest, each of you in the house of her hus- 
band [wishing them a second marriage]." Then 
she kissed them, "and they lifted up their voice 
and wept." No wonder they wept at the prospect 
of saying a last farewell to one who was so worthy 
of their affection and esteem. 

But they promptly declined to return. Being 
unable to assist and protect them, and deeming it 
best that they should remain with their own kin- 
dred, Naomi again urges them to return, at the 
same time expressing her sorrow that she is unable 
to help them and give them a home, saying, "It 
grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of 



26 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

the Lord is gone out against me." "And they 
lifted up their voice and wept again," and Orpah, 
"the Fawn," true to her name, "kissed her 
mother in law," and bounded away to her mater- 
nal home, while Ruth, the true "Friend," "clave 
unto her." Orpah went back to her own people, 
and here h£r name drops out of history. Ruth for- 
sook father and mother, country aud friends, to cast 
in her lot with the people of God, and her name is 
linked with that of the greatest king of Israel, and 
with that of the great Redeemer of mankind. In 
her noble act of self-sacrifice she honored God; and 
God, in accordance with His promise, honored her. 
No one ever lost anything by being true to God. 
He is able to reward His faithful servants, and He 
does reward them liberally. 

The words — so familiar to Bible readers — in 
which Ruth declares her determined purpose to go 
with her mother in law, reveal the positiveness, the 
strength and the nobility of her character. What 
an earnestness and resoluteness of soul breathe in 
them! "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to re- 
turn from following after thee : for whither thou 
goest, I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will 
lodge : thy people shall be my people, and thy God 
my God ; where thou diest, I will die, and there 
will I be buried." She resolves to share the for- 
tunes of Naomi — to share her faith, her poverty, 
her general lot, whatever that might be. We 



BOOK OF RUTH. 2/ 

would not expect such grand sentiments from a 
person who has hitherto occupied so humble a posi- 
tion. The three widows weep together as Orpah 
says her farewell, and Ruth utters her sublime re- 
solve to leave all and journey into a strange land. 
The picture is sufficiently gloomy. But the lofty 
spirit of Ruth suddenly shines forth, like a bright 
star in a dark night, and throws an imperishable 
light on the scene; and mankind in all ages since 
look on it with admiration and pleasure. There is 
a whole-heartedness in her resolve which presages 
greater things still in her career. Her mother in 
law held out no inducements but privations and 
toil. Ruth determines to share them with her. 
She will link her life and fortunes with those of 
Naomi. She will go where she goes, lodge where 
she lodges ; she will dwell among her people, will 
worship her God, will die where she dies, and be 
buried with her. 

Her decision of character is most admirable and 
worthy of imitation. Having made up her mind 
as to what was right and her duty in the case, 
nothing could turn her from her purpose. She 
had learned to know and worship the God of Israel, 
and she resolved to serve no other. She had 
chosen Him for her God, and she determined that 
she would be numbered with His people. This 
was the only course consistent with her convic- 
tions. She might have vacillated between con- 



28 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

siderations of temporal comfort and ease and 
religious duty, and at last gone back with Orpah 
to her own people, but she would not thus surren- 
der her faith and renounce her religion. She acted 
promptly and decisively. This was right. But 
how many, from worldly considerations, hold back 
their decision to confess Christ and serve Him! A 
sense of duty urges them on the one hand, and a 
love of pleasure and of the world holds them back 
on the other hand, and so they vacillate between 
the choice of God and mammon — unable to make 
up their minds fully whom they will serve. In a 
matter like this there should be no hesitancy. 
Once we know that God is the Lord, we should 
serve Him. We should suffer nothing else to stand 
in the way of our choice for a moment. And hav- 
ing once confessed the Lord, we dare not disown 
Him, no matter what the sacrifice or the duty 
which may be required. We must acknowledge 
and serve Him everywhere and always. Whatever 
step we take, and whatever choice we make, it 
must be done in the name of the Lord and in 
obedience to His law. 

Ruth's constancy also deserves to be noticed. 
She was placed under a severe trial. Her filial 
love and her religious devotion were both thor- 
oughly tested. Naomi's repeated request for her 
to return to her own people would have shaken the 
resolution of most persons. Had she been of a cer- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 29 

tain order of mind, she would have concluded that 
her company was not desired, and would have 
turned away, grieved and wounded, and gone back 
to her former home. But the strength of her pur- 
pose rose above any such feelings, if even they had 
been started, and she maintained her resolution to 
journey to the land of Judah. It was no small sac- 
rifice which she had to make. She had to leave 
friends and country, the shelter and comforts of 
home, and seek a livelihood by her own exertions 
in a strange land. But to remain with her own 
people involved a relapse into idolatry, into heathen 
life and despair. In her choice between home and 
voluntary exile, between the worship of Chemosh, 
the god of Moab, and Jehovah, the God of Israel, 
she did not hesitate, nor did the sacrifices which 
this choice involved shake the firmness of her pur- 
pose. Having given herself to the service of God 
when circumstances were favorable, she remained 
steadfast in times of sorrow, self-denial and sore 
trial. Adversity could not move her from her pious 
resolution. It was not merely in the prosperous 
days of her wedded life that she maintained the re- 
ligious faith of her husband, but she remained con- 
stant in that faith in the dark and trying days of 
her widowhood. She possessed the spirit of true 
religion. She was constant and faithful in the 
Lord's service. She persevered in well-doing amid 
all the difficulties and hardships of her life. She 



30 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

was not turned back from the path of truth and 
piety by the sacrifices and duties which lay in it. 
In this she is an example to all believers. How 
many run well for a time only — run well so long 
as nothing hinders them, and are turned out of the 
way of life so soon as they meet with trials and 
difficulties. Our hply religion requires decision 
and constancy. We must have the courage to re- 
solve and to carry out what we know to be right, 
and the firmness to maintain our faith and calling 
at any cost. We must labor, and not faint. In 
the words of the apostle, we must be "steadfast, 
immoveable, ever abounding in the work of the 
Lord, forasmuch as we know that our labor in the 
Lord shall not be in vain." 



NAOMI'S RETURN TO BETHLEHEM. 



RUTH i. 19-22. 

So they two went until they came to Beth-lehein. And it 
came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the 
city was moved about them, and the women said, Is this Naomi? 
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for 
the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, 
and the Lord hath brought me home again empty ; why call ye 
me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified agaiust me, and the 
Almighty hath afflicted me. So Naomi returned, and Ruth, the 
Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of 
the country of Moab, and they came to Beth-lehem in the begin- 
ning of barley harvest. 



CHAPTER III. 

NAOMI'S RETURN TO BETHLEHEM. 

(\ I HERE are several incidents in the life of 
Naomi that are touching and interesting. 
y ~~* m ^ Though she lived many years ago, her expe- 
rience was so similar to that of thousands in every 
generation, that the incidents related of her possess 
a perpetual freshness and interest. How many have 
experienced as she did, the trial of leaving their na- 
tive town, or village, or city, or country neighbor- 
hood, of parting with their youthful friends and 
associates, to go and reside with strangers. How 
many, like her, meet with misfortune and sorrow 
in the strange land in which they have sought a 
home. How many there are whose sad lot it is, as 
it was hers, to bury their kindred in some foreign 
country, or in som.e distant part of their own coun- 
try, and then in loneliness and sorrow to turn their 
feet back again in the road to their former friends 
and home! Nor is that other trial wanting with 
many which she also had to bear, of going "out 
full," and returning "empty" — of leaving the 
happy scenes of childhood and youth, with high 
hopes and with unbroken family circle, and coming 
3 (33) 



34 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

back alone, with hopes crushed, and the dearest 
treasures of this life left behind; and all this sorrow 
and loss aggravated by the fact that the interest 
once felt in friends at home, and their interest in 
the absent ones, have been greatly diminished. 
Only those who have passed through such an expe- 
rience can understand the severity of Naomi's trial 
and affliction, and appreciate the strength and no- 
bility of her character. 

We last saw Naomi in her great misfortune and 
grief in the land of Moab — bereaved of her husband 
and two sons — alone and destitute — about taking 
leave of her two faithful daughters in law, when 
Orpah kissed her and returned to her home and 
her idols, and the devoted Ruth "clave unto her," 
and refused to return. Seeing the unalterable 
purpose of Ruth to accompany her, she at last 
gave her consent, and the two women began their 
solitary journey. The loneliness of the way was, 
no doubt, greatly relieved by the company of Ruth, 
though her presence must have occasioned Naomi 
many anxious thoughts about the means of gain- 
ing a livelihood for one who was almost friendless 
and alone. Doubtless they conversed about these 
matters as they traveled onward, and while their 
thoughts were thus occupied their minds were di- 
verted from their recent sorrows and misfortunes. 
Thus the difficulties and duties which circum- 
stances sometimes force upon us serve as an anti- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 35 

dote to the griefs which otherwise would consume 
our strength, cast down our hopes, and paralyze 
our energy. 

Journeying on amidst hopes and fears, they at 
last arrive at Bethlehem — the native town of 
Naomi. She is scarcely recognized by her former 
friends and associates, so changed and broken is 
she by her late sorrows and afflictions. Though 
absent only about ten years, the change which her 
reverses have wrought in her appearance is as great 
as that which ordinarily comes after the lapse of a 
longer period of time. She had become pre- 
maturely aged. The bloom had faded from her 
cheeks, the light of her eye had been dimmed, the 
elasticity of her step was lost, the erect carriage of 
her person was stooped, so that she scarcely re- 
sembled her former self, and her old acquaintances 
asked in surprise, when they saw her, "Is this 
Naomi?" Many of them asked this question in 
true sympathy with the fallen fortunes and sad 
losses of this sorrowful woman. They readily took 
x in her lamentable situation, and felt deeply and 
tenderly for her. But there were, doubtless, others 
— we may hope, however, very few — who asked 
this question somewhat scornfully, being moved 
still with the envy which they felt in her days of 
prosperity, and with the feeling of disapproval with 
which they regarded her removal from their midst 
at a time of common calamity and misfortune. Of 



36 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

course, they would insinuate by their question, "Is 
this the Naomi who was once so prosperous and 
comfortable — the Naomi who could not bear the 
discomforts which we all had to endure, and who, 
for the sake of securing greater quietude and ease, 
had to go down and live in the land of Moab? Is 
this the Naomi, who was once so well to do, and is 
now so destitute and dependent?" 

There are those who find a grim sort of pleasure 
in the downfall of those whom they envy, but it 
is not the feeling of a noble and a generous mind. 
Such a temper should not be indulged. It is de- 
grading to our better nature, it restrains us from 
those acts of kindness and mercy which we owe to 
the unfortunate and the afflicted, and it often hides 
from our view the noble and admirable virtues of 
those who have been deprived of their outward 
state of plenty and comfort. Besides, we ought to 
reflect that misfortune is liable to come to us all, 
and we should act as considerately towards others 
as we would desire them to act towards us in a 
similar condition. Thus we will learn how to be- 
have ourselves towards those who have undergone 
sore trials and reverses. 

The reply which Naomi makes to the question of 
her friends and acquaintances, reveals her humility, 
her submission to the Divine will, and her great 
strength of character. "And she said unto them, 
Call me not Naomi," that is "Loveable," "Call 



BOOK OF' RUTH. 37 

me Mara," that is "Bitter," " for the Almighty 
hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full 
and the Lord hath brought me home again empty. 
Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath 
testified against me, and the Almighty hath af- 
flicted me." She throws no blame on any one. 
She expresses no feeling of resentment against 
those who may have exulted over her sore misfor- 
tunes. Her great afflictions have made her nature 
too deep and rich and charitable for that. Her 
sympathy for mankind is too tender and full to re- 
proach those who have not learned those deep les- 
sons of life which are taught in the school of ad- 
versity — lessons which displace petty spite and low 
envy with forgiving love and generous good-will, 
and lift the soul above the low plane of carnal 
thought and feeling. There is not a trace, either, 
of rebellion against the Providence which has dealt 
so hardly with her. All she says is the utterance 
of a pious, heroic soul, trusting in God, and pa- 
tiently submitting to what He ordains. 

The wonder is that we find such lofty sentiments 
from one occupying so humble a position in life. 
She seems to have held no higher rank than the 
average farmer's wife, of Bethlehem. But she was 
not without that sort of training which brings out 
the loftiest qualities of mind and heart. She was 
a pupil in the school of Providence, and she had 
learned many valuable lessons which greatly ex- 



38 REFLECTIONS OX THE 

alted and enriched her nature. Besides this, the 
brightest minds and the noblest hearts are often 
found in the humble walks of life, where the force 
of circumstances either represses or conceals talents 
and virtues which would otherwise shine and at- 
tract the praise and admiration of the world. 

In the account of Naomi's return to her native 
town and to her kinsfolk, no mention is made of 
Ruth. All the surprise and remarks are about 
Naomi. The modest, noble-minded, sad-hearted 
Moabitess seems to be entirely overlooked. All the 
town is excited over Naomi's arrival, but not a word 
is said, good or bad, of the devoted friend who came 
with her with the settled purpose to make the land 
of Judah her home. It was scarcely courteous to 
make so little of the new kinswoman of their old 
friend. Besides, they were lacking in a proper 
zeal for the Lord, in not showing more interest in 
one who has renounced her idol god to serve Je- 
hovah. These Bethlehemites might have done so 
much, at least, as to enquire who Naomi's com- 
panion was, and to bid her welcome, and throw a 
little light and hope on her sad path. But they 
did almost as well as many church people in our 
own day, when some sorrowing soul comes up out 
of the valley of affliction and goes up to Mt. Zion. 
Often no one inquires who she is, or speaks a word 
of welcome and encouragement, or gives a single 
look of friendly recognition, or does anything to 



BOOK OF RUTH. 39 

drive away sadness or brighten the new path on 
which she has just entered. 

As a rule, Christians are too distant in their 
treatment of each other — especially members of the 
same church. Our social habits are somewhat ex- 
clusive. We hold all persons at a distance until 
we know them and ascertain whether we would 
desire their acquaintance. This is not wrong. Our 
own comfort requires this. But there is another 
circle which is not strictly social, but gracious, in 
which the higher relationship of the spiritual life 
rules, in which we meet as members of one family 
— as children of one Father — in which we may be 
friendly to all, in which we may sympathize with 
each other, and help and comfort one another. 
And this circle is the church of Christ. It is here 
that a great defect in our social life is met, and a 
great want of the soul is supplied. There are 
myriads of lonely people in our crowded cities — 
people who are strangers and sojourners — people 
who, though born and reared in the same place 
with us, never speak with us nor we with them — 
never hope to see us in our homes nor to hold any 
friendly social relations with us. We move in a 
different circle from them. Our tastes and circum- 
stances separate us from them. But we see many 
of them in the house of the Lord. We meet in the 
courts of our common Father and Saviour and 
Comforter, before whom there is the perfect equal- 



40 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

ity of all believers. Here we may greet each other 
without any social compromise^ and feel the 
strength of the tie which binds mankind in a com- 
mon brotherhood and realize something of the 
heavenly rapture of the "communion of saints." 

At any rate, we make too little, ordinarily, of 
strangers who come into our neighborhood, or into 
the church. And we sometimes make unjust dis- 
tinctions. The person in "goodly apparel" is 
likely -to receive more attention than the one in 
more Humble attire. But we may be sadly mis- 
taken. The man is a vast deal more than the coat 
he wears, and the woman than the dress and jewels 
with which she is adorned. There is often very 
great worth in those of lowly mien. We know not 
the prominence which God will give them in carry- 
ing out His great designs. The dejected Moabitess, 
whom the women of Bethlehem passed by with 
indifference, became the grandmother of Israel's 
greatest king. So many a person coming into our 
midst as a penniless stranger, may become a useful 
citizen, an active church member — possibly a pillar 
in the church — and his descendants occupy influ- 
ential positions in society and in the Kingdom of 
God. The little ragged boy brought into the Sun- 
day-school may some day become a minister of the 
Word, or fill some other useful and honorable posi- 
tion in life. So the little girl, properly shielded 
and trained, may become equally useful and honor- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 41 

able in her own sphere of life. Persons are links 
in the great chain of God's providences, and every 
link is necessary — some are immensely important. 
Therefore no one should be overlooked by us, and 
especially as we know not which one will be chosen 
to achieve great things in the cause of truth and 
God. Let us take an interest in the strangers that 
are within our gates. Let us invite them to go 
with us into the house of the Lord. Let us make 
them welcome when they come. If we succeed in 
doing them good they will do us good in return, 
and God's name will be honored and His cause ad- 
vanced. 

We desire to offer one more reflection on Naomi's 
return to her former home. She came back poor 
and dejected. It was not her fault. Probably she 
had no desire to remove to the land of Moab. But 
Elimelech determined to go, and as a dutiful wife, 
( she had to go with him. No doubt he meant it 
well, but he had miscalculated. He did not count 
on dying so soon. Everything went different from 
what he expected. There is a great practical les- 
son in this fact. Israel always stands as a type 
of the church, and Moab and all heathendom as a 
type of the world. Some trouble and discomfort 
at home led Elimelech to go down from the land 
of Israel to the land of Moab. A few years passed 
and he and his sons were no more, and his widow 
was so broken and changed by her sorrows that her 



42 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

friends scarcely knew her. We may see in him a 
representative of any father who, because of some 
difficulty or offense in the church, leaves it and 
goes down into the world, taking his family with 
him. He does not mean to leave it for good — only 
while the famine lasts, while the stress of trial 
and discomfort is upon it — then he will return. 
And he goes down into Moab, and indulges worldly 
ease and comfort, and leaves the rest of Israel to 
struggle on as best they can. But, alas! afflictions 
come. Death enters the home. Perhaps that father 
is the first one to receive the fatal summons. Re- 
verses then come. Fortune is swept away. Other 
afflictions are added. A remnant of the broken 
household, in their sorrow, now recall the good 
land from which they had gone out, and they re- 
solve to return. They come back to the house of 
the Lord so broken and marred by the world's 
hard treatment that their friends scarcely recognize 
them. In surprise they ask, "Are these the peo- 
ple who formerly worshipped with us in this place? 
How changed they are ! What trials and afflictions 
they must have experienced!" But all have not 
returned. Some are among the dead. Others re- 
main in Moab, preferring the service of the god of 
this world to that of the God of Israel. The well- 
meaning father did not intend this when he took 
offense and left the church. But so it has resulted. 
O, the responsibility which rests on the heads of 



BOOK OF RUTH. 43, 

families ! Their choice and actions involve the 
welfare or unhappiness of all the house. To turn 
the back on the church and go down into the world 
is a step towards death and misery from which a 
man may never be able to return. Many an Elim- 
elech has gone down from Judah to Moab — from 
the church to the world — who never came back 
again, and he and his sons have perished there. 
Let parents beware how they act towards the 
church of God. To turn from it to the world is to 
put a slight on the Lord that bought them, and 
there are guilt and judgment in the very act. 
There is too much risk here. If the cross is heavy, 
bear it. Better be safe under it, than cast it away 
and perish. Who does not see that it would have 
been better for Elimelech to remain in Judah? It 
would have saved his property. It might have 
prolonged his life and the lives of his sons. It 
would have saved his poor wife unspeakable trouble 
and sorrow. And who does not see that it is al- 
ways best for a man to abide in the church of 
Christ, and to keep his family there with him? It 
will be an advantage every way, and especially 
when death shall invade his home. Then there 
will be many to sympathize with him. Then con- 
solation will be found in the word of God duly ap- 
plied, and there will be the blessed hope of a better 
life to come. There are no comforts equal to those 
of religion. There are no hopes so grand and 



44 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

blessed as those which are set before us in the Gos- 
pel. Death out of the church is indeed a sad event. 
But when it takes place in the church and in the 
faith, there is much to cheer and strengthen the 
hearts that are torn with grief. They sorrow not 
even as others which have no hope. 

But nearly as bad as the fathers who go down 
from Judah to Moab, are those who are in Moab 
and remain there when all the blessings of the 
Land of Promise lie open to them to inherit and 
enjoy. It cannot be denied that many a father 
prolongs his residence in Moab until his children 
are grown up there — worldly-minded and irrelig- 
ious — whereas if they had cast in their lot with the 
people of God their households would have done 
likewise. It is often the case that a father neglects 
church and continues to be a man of the world 
until his family is grown up, and then late in life 
comes into the Kingdom of God and laments that 
his children are without religious faith and hope. 
And often he pleads in vain for them to change 
their ways and serve the Lord. But it is too late. 
The right influence and example were not brought 
to bear in time. The habits are formed. The 
mode of thought is fixed, and it is only by special 
grace that the necessary change can now be brought 
about. Again we say to parents, Be careful what 
you do. You act not for yourselves alone, but 
also for your children. See that you are planted in 



BOOK OF RUTH. 45 

the house of the Lord and that they are planted 
there with you, and then abide steadfastly in the 
good estate in which you are, and strive to keep 
them steadfast with yourselves. Your own safety 
and welfare and theirs depend on your doing so. 

The religious faith and hopes of children depend 
much more on the instruction and example of par- 
ents than is commonly supposed. The first and 
most potent impressions and influences are received 
in the family. The parents are necessarily the first 
teachers of the child, and they must set the current 
of its religious life in the right direction. Its 
plastic nature is molded by their precepts and ex- 
ample. God has put it in their power to deter- 
mine, to a very great extent, the sentiments and 
character of their children, and to fit them for use- 
ful and honorable lives and a happy immortality. 
He graciously furnishes them with, all necessary 
means and assistance. He makes it quite possible 
for them to fulfil the command to bring their chil- 
dren up in His " nurture." He supplies the word 
of truth to inform the judgment, to enlighten the 
conscience, and to determine the choice, and be- 
stows His Spirit to regenerate and sanctify them, 
so that the agencies which are employed are in- 
vested with divine wisdom and power. Those who 
neglect the religious training of their children, de- 
prive them of the highest and strongest motives 
for a life of well-doino- of the best safeguards 



46 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

against sin and folly, of the most powerful supports 
under trials, and of an unfailing source of courage 
and strength to stand in the hour of temptation. 
But the natural, proper and right result of Christ 
nurture in the family, is membership in the Church, 
when the children arrive at a suitable age. Where 
this fails the legitimate results of the previous 
training have not been obtained. The religious 
nurture of the home, must have in view ultimate 
and practical membership in the Church. But 
this end can not be successfully gained, unless the 
parents themselves stand in living union with the 
Church. They cannot expect their children to live 
in Judah, while they reside in Moab. They must 
give right example. They must dwell in the 
House of the Lord, and have their children reside 
with them there. 



GLEANING IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ. 



RUTH ii. 1-3. 

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man 
of wealth, of the family of Elimelech ; and his name was Boaz. 
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go 
to the field, and glean among the ears of corn after him in 
whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my 
daughter. And she went, and came and gleaned in the field 
after the reapers : and her hap was to light on the portion of the 
field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 



c 



CHAPTER IV. 



GLEANING IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ. 



CJ 



T was fortunate that Naomi and Ruth came 
s to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley 
harvest. It seems that they were quite des- 
titute, and that they had not yet any certain means 
of gaining a livelihood. Naomi had rich relatives, 
but they do not appear to have opened their hands 
to her very liberally. Boaz was evidently a good 
man as well as a rich man. Did he not yet know 
of her arrival? Or was he ignorant of her strait- 
ened circumstances? Or was he over-delicate 
about offering her charity? Whatever may have 
been the reason, she received no assistance either 
from her wealthy kinsmen or her old acquaint- 
ances and associates. It was a sad trial for her 
and her daughter in law. It was hard for Naomi 
to feel the pinch of poverty in her old home, where 
a decade of years before she enjoyed plenty, and 
for Ruth to find herself among strangers and God's 
chosen people, and her late husband's friends, with 
so little practical sympathy and encouragement. 
But under this fresh trial her character looms up 
with increasing strength and lustre. She is not 
4 (49) 



5<3 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

overwhelmed by her misfortunes and sorrows. She 
does not sit clown in silent helplessness, and brood 
over her sad lot until she dies broken-hearted, but 
rises up with heroic resolve and says: "I will go 
and glean in any man's field, in whose sight I may 
find favor." 

The right to glean was conferred, by positive law, 
on the widow, the fatherless, the poor and the 
stranger. But to glean behind the reapers could 
not be claimed as a matter of right, but of privi- 
lege only, of special favor granted by the good wall 
of the owner. Hence Ruth proposes to go and 
glean wherever this privilege would be allowed 
her. The Divine law in regard to gleaning is this, 
" And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou 
shalt not wholly reap the corners of your field, 
neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy 
harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, 
neither shalt thou gather every grape of the vine- 
yard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and 
stranger." In Deuteronomy, where this law is 
repeated, the widow and the fatherless are also 
named among those who are to be permitted to 
glean. This was one of God's provisions for the 
support of the poor and the helpless. It is a truth 
well worthy of notice that God has mercifully com- 
manded that the poor shall be cared for. In the 
law given by Moses it is enacted: "The poor shall 
never cease out of the land: therefore I command 



BOOK OF RUTH. 5 1 

thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide 
unto thy brother, to thy poor and thy needy in thy 
land." That God lays particular stress on this 
duty appears also in the teaching of Christ in the 
Gospel. The main cause of the condemnation of 
the rich man in the parable is, that whilst he had 
abundance he cared not whether the wants of the 
miserable beggar lying at his gate were supplied or 
not. 

Likewise, the ground on which the final sentence 
will be based on the great day of accounts, will be 
in accordance with the fact of our having extended 
or withheld charity from the needy and afflicted. 
An eternity of bliss or woe will depend on the alter- 
native whether we have done it or have not done it 
"unto one of the least of these my brethren." 
This is a most momentous truth, and it should be 
weighed with the greatest seriousness and thought- 
fulness. Our approval or rejection at the judgment 
depends on how we have observed or failed to ob- 
serve its requirements. And the reason for this lies 
in a very deep and vital principle— in the presence 
of that love which marks us as the children of God, 
or in the absence of that love which proves us to be 
the children of wrath. To this effect St. John says: 
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his 
brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of 
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of 
God in him?" "That matter, therefore, of sup- 



52 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

porting the poor is a very serious one. It is a test 
of our faith and Christian character, and it will be 
a test of acceptance or rejection on the day of judg- 
ment." 

We have no such custom among us as gleaning. 
Yet we have known it to be practiced in some rural 
districts. We have known manufacturers to allow 
coal-picking about their yards, which may be re- 
garded as a species of gleaning. But these are ex- 
ceptional cases. It is doubtful whether the privi- 
lege of gleaning would be practicable in our day. 
The bold and grasping, the unworthy, would reap 
the chief benefits of it; while the timid and the 
weak, the most deserving, would be thrust aside 
and deprived of their proper share. But we have 
abundant opportunities of bestowing on the poor 
the gleanings which we make w T ith our own hands. 
We may minister to them personally, or through 
the many charitable institutions of our laud. The 
point with us is that we do not first glean our fields, 
or shops, or other channels of industry and wealth 
— that is, gather up and save every fragment of that 
in which our income consists — and then keep it and 
use it for ourselves alone, and fail to give any part 
of it to the needy and the helpless. 

But let us return to the conduct of Ruth and 
note whatever is excellent and commendable in it, 
and worthy of imitation. 

She found herself among strangers. She was 



BOOK OF RUTH. 53 

poor, but not dependent, for she had a sound body 
and mind. More than this — she had a will to do 
something for herself. It is true, nothing very in- 
viting offered itself for her to engage in. But she 
took the first and best thing she knew of, and it 
turned out to be the most profitable employment 
she eould have undertaken. To her, poverty could 
not long be a burden. Her own energy would 
soon throw it off, and she would gain comfort and 
plenty by her own exertions. She was of too 
noble a nature to regard poverty as a disgrace. 
Our being poor or rich is often only a mere acci- 
dent of birth or fortune. It has nothing to do 
with the honesty or integrity of a man. "God 
hath chosen the poor, rich in faith." Some of the 
noblest characters that ever lived were poor. Such 
were the apostles, and the Son of man Himself, 
who had not where to lay His head. Her spirit 
was too noble and hopeful to be broken with the 
reflection that she lacked many of the ordinary 
comforts of life. Though poor, her life was still 
honorable and desirable, and she would make the 
best use of it in her power. 

The independence and nobility of her character 
are seen in her resolve to help herself. She did 
not propose to sit idly at home and plead that she 
was an entire stranger and did not know to whom 
to apply for employment, or excuse herself from 
following some useful occupation on the ground 



54 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

that the wages were too small, and thus abandon 
all attempt at self-support. We hear no hint of 
her returning to her friends, that she might benefit 
by their sympathy and charity. But she bravely 
asked permission to go and glean wherever the 
privilege would be allowed her. This desire of 
self-support is very strong in many persons, and is 
to be encouraged and commended. Yet this is not 
the duty of all. There are social and domestic 
relations which demand the time and attention of 
many, and for the services which they render, they 
are justly entitled to a generous support. There 
are many whose lives are busy and useful, but re- 
ceive no stipulated wages for their services. With 
such the spirit of self-dependence is not compro- 
mised, for there is the consciousness of valuable ser- 
vices which deserve liberal remuneration. 

But the wisdom and piety of Ruth appear in 
her willingness to accept cheerfully the condition 
which Providence had chosen for her, and to per- 
form the work which belonged to it. She had, it 
is true, little privilege of choice. There were very 
few avenues of industry open to her. Her need 
was urgent. She could not wait long for some 
easy and desirable situation. She had to take what 
then offered itself. But she did not shrink from it. 
The harvest was at hand, and she had to gather in 
her bread then, or lack for the rest of the year. The 
result of her endeavor, as we shall see hereafter, 



BOOK OF RUTH. 55 

was to make provision for her support during the 
rest of her life. The point which we desire to 
make here is, that she made use of her opportu- 
nity. Had she sat still and debated the possibili- 
ties of success or failure, or taken into account the 
disproportion between the toil and the meagre 
returns of a day's gleaning, her destiny would 
have been very 7 different, and her life would have 
been a failure. She would have missed her one 
chance of entering upon a course which led on- 
ward to affluence and honor. 

It may be truly said that harvest-time comes to 
all persons. Some gather in the ample fruits of 
agriculture, of trade, and of manufacture, while 
others are mere gleaners in the various pursuits of 
life. But if the prosperous do not reap an harvest, 
and the poor do not glean, neither one will obtain 
the means of subsistence which Providence has 
placed in his reach, and if they both lack a suffi- 
ciency, it is owing to their own negligence. Many 
persons have to begin life as mere gleaners, finding 
employment and sources of revenue as best they 
can, and receiving such wages as are offered — often 
too small, we know. But it is far better to be em- 
ployed at low wages than to be idle. Occupation 
is a reward in itself. It is the road along which 
preferment, comfort and fortune lie. Our begin- 
nings may be humble enough, but we know not the 
promotions which industry, virtue, attention and 



56 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

capability may win for us. It was thus that a 
newsboy became proprietor, and then the widely 
known benefactor. The errand boy rises to the 
position of partner. The operative in a factory, 
the clerk, the teacher, is chosen to fill a high sta- 
tion in social life, in the honorable and useful posi- 
tion of wife. Whilst this is not the lot of all, many 
gain for themselves a good degree of comfort and 
happiness, and wear the most precious of all orna- 
ments — a good name. 

No doubt, many are hindered from entering on a 
successful career from a feeling of false pride. 
They could learn a trade or engage in a business 
of a certain kind, but it lacks caste. It is too 
common. They want an occupation which is more 
than ordinarily respectable — something which, ac- 
cording to the current notions of men, carries with 
it the idea of genteel and honorable. This they 
will follow, or nothing. If such a situation is not 
open — and it cannot be open to all — they will ac- 
cept none. The frequent result is, none is chosen, 
and nothing ever comes of it. The years when a 
foundation for subsequent industry and prosperity 
is to be laid glide away, and life is a failure, or, at 
best, only a partial success. The same is true of 
any kind of common employment. Work of cer- 
tain kinds can be had, but it is considered too me- 
nial, or the wages are deemed inadequate. Where 
such considerations are allowed to rule, disappoint- 



BOOK OK RUTH. 57 

ment, sometimes want, often evil habits, and 
sorrow and failure follow. 

Let us learn from the example of Ruth. She 
was not ashamed of her humble lot, nor did she 
shrink from the hard necessities which it imposed. 
To go into the fields and glean was an admission 
of her poverty. It was to gain but little reward 
for much toil. But she was not hindered by such 
considerations. It was not in her power to fix her 
wages. She was poor, but this she could not help, 
nor was she ashamed of it. There is no disgrace 
in being poor. As long as we do right and pre- 
serve our good name, we may stand erect in the 
presence of any one. She did not refuse to do the 
work her hands found to do, though it betokened 
her poverty, and even exposed her to the possibility 
of unfriendly treatment from the owners and the 
reapers of the fields in which she desired to glean. 
Here were resolution aud courage to dare and do, 
qualities' which are sometimes necessary for self- 
help in this selfish and unsympathetic world. An 
honorable subsistence often demands the utmost 
pluck to gain it. But when this pluck is once 
fully tested and demonstrated, it is admired and re- 
warded. 

Of this resoluteness and steadfastness of purpose, 
the life of Ruth is a brilliant example. She may 
have hoped for more friendly assistance from the 
friends and relatives of her late husband, and if not 



58 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

from them, from the people of God with whom she 
had chosen to live. Her own heart glowed with 
benevolent feelings for mankind, and she may have 
justly expected that her kinsfolk by marriage, and 
her neighbors whose faith she had espoused, would 
treat her with kind consideration. But her life 
opened in Bethlehem apparently dark and full of 
discouragement. It had one source of cheer and 
comfort. She enjoyed the sympathy and love of 
her noble mother in law, and this was about the 
only bright and sunny fact in her desolate life, 
aside from the comfort and happiness she enjoyed 
in the assurance that the favor and peace of God 
were with her. But the filial and religious pur- 
pose to "cleave" to Naomi, and to share all her 
fortunes, was unchanged by any subsequent disap- 
pointments and hardships encountered by her. 
Almost any ordinary character would have been 
completely discouraged. She would have argued 
that the death of her husband freed her from fur- 
ther obligations to Naomi, that she could not be 
expected to dwell in a land of strangers, or among 
her husband's kinsmen, who felt no practical sym- 
pathy for her, and there toil in poverty and neglect, 
when she could return to her father's house and 
enjoy ease and abundance. But she did not reason 
thus. She had deliberately made up her mind to 
trust in the God of Israel, and to dwell with His 
people. She had counted the cost before she took 



BOOK OF RUTH. 59 

this step, and she was not now to be turned aside 
from a course which she knew to be right and 
good, because great hardships confronted her. 
These difficulties lay at the beginning of the new 
path on which she entered. She will not be 
turned out of it by them, but she will bravely sur- 
mount them. Such an unyielding adherence to a 
right course of life ought to be maintained by every 
one. Once we set our faces Zionward, we should 
not turn backward for any difficulties and hard- 
ships. Better bear the cross in weariness and suf- 
fering on the way to eternal life than be borne 
along on beds of roses on the road which leads to 
eternal death. Better live among the people of 
God in loneliness and poverty than to enjoy the 
companionship and abundance of the wicked. 
And if there is anything in which we should show 
unalterable purpose, a purpose which misfortune, 
persecution, abuse, and death cannot compel us to 
change, it is the purpose to serve God, to keep our 
covenant with Him unbroken, and to hold fast our 
title to eternal life. Ruth's trials and discourage- 
ments could not drive her to deny her faith, or to 
desert the people of God. Such should be the con- 
stancy of every believer. 

We have also in the conduct of Ruth a conspic- 
uous example of faith. She started out in the 
morning to glean, without knowing whither to go. 
No doubt, in her uncertainty, she asked God to 



60 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

direct her, as every pious person should do on go- 
ing forth to the duties of the day. The Lord heard 
her prayer and guided her footsteps, and brought 
her to the fields of Boaz, a near kinsman of her late 
husband, a man of wealth and of generous impul- 
ses. This might seem accidental to some, but it 
was all ordered from above. Of course Ruth acted 
without design, for she could not know which were 
the fields of Boaz, as the land in Syria is not fenced, 
and the boundary lines are indicated only with 
stones, called landmarks, set up at intervals. The 
result of this fortunate circumstance of her coming 
into the field of Boaz to glean, must be left for con- 
sideration in another chapter. But we do not wish 
to dismiss the subject without a few reflections at 
this place on the principle which underlies this oc- 
currence. 

Ruth is far from being the only person who has 
started out to seek employment under great trial 
and perplexity, not knowing whither to go. But 
there is a world-wide difference in the state of mind 
with which this is done. Some are merely guided 
by a sort of instinct which drives them forth to 
seek their daily bread — to provide for their urgent 
wants — whilst others go forth with a calm trust' in 
Divine Providence, feeling sure that God will open 
the way and give success. He who enters upon 
any pursuit and feels that God is with him, can go 
forward confidently. God will direct his footsteps 



BOOK OF RUTH. 6 1 

and give him success. It may be accompanied with 
trials and disappointments, but it will have a joyful 
and prosperous ending. He who trusts in God and 
does his duty prospers more than he anticipates. 
His prosperity may not always be of a temporal 
character. Reverses may come, losses may be sus- 
tained, afflictions may be experienced; but with 
every earthly sorrow and misfortune, the title of 
eternal life will be made more sure, and the future 
inheritance in the kingdom of heaven will be en- 
larged. The supreme good aimed at by the child 
of God is never missed. For success in this life we 
know of no better rule than to trust in God and do 
our duty, and this same rule will secure for us the 
true and imperishable riches of the world to come. 
The God whom we acknowledge, to whom we look 
for guidance and aid, is infinite in resources, and is 
able to bless us beyond all we can ask or think. 
None that have trusted in Him and served Him 
have ever been forsaken or unrewarded. In this 
life He will care for us, and in the life to come He 
will crown us with glory and honor. 

It is a pleasing thought to the faithful, that how- 
ever lonely they may be, God is with them ; that 
however helpless and defenceless they are, God 
cares for them and protects them ; that however 
great their need may be, God provides for them ; 
that however perplexed and uncertain they may 
be, God leads and directs them in safe paths, if so 



62 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

be that they seek His guidance ; and that however 
much they may be neglected or deserted by their 
fellowmen, God never leaves nor forsakes them. 
It is in the day of sorrow and adversity that God 
especially befriends His people. Therefore, never 
lose heart, dear reader, if you are a child of God. 
Never yield to discouragement. "If God be for 
us, who can be against us?" Only trust in Him. 
Be sure He is near you in the darkness of trial and 
affliction and you will not be afraid, neither will 
your strength fail. Reach your hand toward Him 
in childlike faith, and He will take hold of your 
hand and lift you up ; He will lead you and sustain 
you. „ 

There is no doctrine more comforting and help- 
ful than that of Divine Providence. If you be- 
lieve, this you will never lose courage or yield to 
despair under the severest trials and misfortunes. 
If your means are scanty, remember what is prom- 
ised in God's unfailing word : " Trust in the Lord 
and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and 
verily thou shalt be fed." If your path is dark 
and you know not whither to direct your steps, 
the Divine word again comes to your aid and says, 
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall 
direct thy paths." 



BOAZ MEETING RUTH. 



RUTH ii. 4-17. 

And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-le-hem, and said unto the 
reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The 
Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was 
set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant 
that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the 
Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the coun- 
try of Moab : and she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and 
gather after the reapers among the sheaves : so she came, and 
hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she 
tarried a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hear- 
est thou not, my daughter ? Go not to glean in another field, 
neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. 
Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou 
after them : have I not charged the young men that they shall 
not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, 
and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she 
fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto 
him, Why have I found grace in thy sight, that thou shouldest 
take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger ? And Boaz an- 
swered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all 
that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of 
thine husband : and how thou hast left thy father and thy 
mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a 
people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recom- 
pense th3' work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord, 
the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take 
refuge. Then she said, Let me find grace in thy sight, my 
lord ; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast 
spoken kindly unto thine handmaid, though I be not as one of 
thine handmaidens. And at meal time Boaz said unto her, 
Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the 
vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers : and they reached her 
parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left 
thereof. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz com- 
manded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the 
sheaves, and reproach her not. * * * So she gleaned in the 
field until even ; and she beat out that she had gleaned, and it 
was about an ephah of barley. 



CHAPTER V. 

BOAZ MEETING RUTH. 

(j I HE scene in the harvest field, in which the 
friendly relations between Ruth and Boaz 
/- ^^ were formed, furnishes a beautiful picture 
of the simple manners of the Hast. There is much 
in it to admire and praise. The chief attraction, 
however, is the meeting of the gleaner and the 
proprietor amid the sheaves of the reapers, their 
informal introduction to each other, and the high 
regard which Boaz at once felt for Ruth. It seems 
to be an instance of love at first sight. But every 
act on the part of each one is marked with becom- 
ing dignity and with a refined and delicate pro- 
priety. 

We see in this connection a few strong outlines 
of the character of Boaz, which set him before us 
in a most pleasing and favorable light. He is not 
only pious, but he is also generous and gallant and 
humane. He greets his reapers as a God-fearing 
man, and conducts himself in their presence in an 
upright and becoming manner. His religion was 
not in word only, but also in deed and in truth. 
This appears clearly in the account which is given 
5 (65) 



66 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

of him in holy Scripture. The greeting with 
which he saluted his reapers when he came into 
the field, and the response which they gave to his 
salutation, show the friendly relations which ex- 
existed between him and them as employer and 
employees. He who can go among his workmen 
and say sincerely, "The Lord be with you," will 
deal fairly with them, will give them just wages, 
and will also pay them promptly. And, on the 
other hand, the workmen who can respond with 
equal sincerity, "The Lord bless thee," will ren- 
der due service for the wages given. Where such 
a feeling of good will and mutual interest is felt, 
there is no danger of conflict between capital and 
labor. There is a disposition on the part of those 
who represent each to make just and reasonable 
concessions, and mutually to seek each other's ad- 
vantage. This kindly feeling and friendly sympa- 
thy is much more easily fostered and maintained 
in the simple life of the farmer and the rural crafts- 
man than in the more extensive operations of man- 
ufacture and trade in our great centres of capital 
and industry. The husbandman and the small 
operator mingle much more freely and intimately 
with their employees than men who carry on much 
larger industries and employ many more laborers. 
Besides, where few are employed, the proprietor 
has better opportunities of becoming personally 
acquainted with each one and knowing his iudi- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 67 

vidual trials and wants. But in the large indus- 
tries, in which hundreds and thousands are em- 
ployed, this intimate acquaintance and friendly 
sympathy cannot be formed. Especially is this 
the case in all corporate industries, for which the 
capital is furnished by persons who are not directly 
connected with them. The proprietors may live 
remotely from the scene of operation, and all the 
management be in the hands of agents. The law 
which must obtain in such case is not that of sym- 
pathy and kindly fellow-feeling, but of strict right 
and justice. The agent and the operative must 
each do his duty faithfully. Under such condi- 
tions, the influence of personal sympathy and de- 
sire of mutual welfare becomes subordinate, and 
the law of what is equal and just holds the highest 
place. The parties directly interested [are usually 
unknown to each other, and care little for each 
other's comfort and prosperity. In the absence of 
high moral and religious convictions, there is noth- 
ing to hinder either one from the desire and at- 
tempt to take undue advantage of the other. The 
capitalist will require the highest dividends possi- 
ble, if even the employee suffers in wages; and the 
employe will demand as much wages as he can get, 
and care little whether any profits accrue to those 
who furnish the money to carry on the industry 
which employs him. But there are certain busi- 
ness principles by which the whole question of 



68 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

profits and wages can be regulated. Under our 
present state of civilization, with the immense in- 
dustries which it calls into being and sustains, we 
can see no remedy for oppression on the part of 
capital and strikes on the part of labor, except that 
which is found in a fair and wise adjustment be- 
tween the profits and the rewards of labor. The 
simple, friendly way of regulating this matter, as 
it was done in the days of Boaz, and as it is done 
largely in our own time among tillers of the soil 
and small operators in other lines of industry, is 
impracticable. It must be done on the basis of 
right principle, of a humane consideration for the 
welfare of the great army of toilers, in a word, on 
the basis of fairness and equity. 

Boaz was a man of considerable wealth, but he 
was not above giving personal attention to his own 
affairs. He resided in Bethlehem, and he came to 
look after the men who were laboring for him in 
the field. He would know from his own observa- 
tion how they wrought and conducted themselves, 
and in what condition the product was on which 
they spent their labor, whether it was small or 
abundant, of inferior or superior quality. He had, 
it seems, an overseer employed, who directed the 
workmen through the day and paid their wages at 
evening, but he did not leave everything to his 
foreman or steward. This was, perhaps, the secret 
of his prosperity. He was attentive to his own 



BOOK OF RUTH. 69 

affairs, and therefore he prospered. Men do not 
accumulate property by simple good fortune, but 
by industry, economy, and careful attention to 
business. A negligent farmer, or merchant, or 
manufacturer, who goes about seeking his pleasure, 
and leaves everything to the management of others, 
seldom prospers. He may prosper if he has a stew- 
ard who is wise, capable, honest, and faithful in 
all things. But how often is this the case ? Men 
of this stamp usually do business for themselves, 
and not for others. The same is true in religion. 
Our stores of grace will be small and our souls 
lean, and we will acquire no spiritual riches, if we 
do not give personal attention to prayer and the 
means of grace. 

When Boaz came into his field to observe the 
progress the reapers were making, and to greet 
them with his blessing, his attention was attracted 
to the presence of a modest gleaner. Her general 
appearance and bearing impressed him favorably. 
There was something in her person and manners 
which told him that she was no ordinary pauper. 
The soul that is in us shows itself in our looks, in 
our thoughts, in our tastes and amusements. A 
mean soul cannot animate the body with great 
thoughts, with high purposes, noble conduct and 
dignified action. But when there is in this earthly 
tabernacle a noble nature, lofty purpose and a pure 
heart, these will manifest themselves in the coun- 



7<D REFLECTIONS ON THE 

tenance, the conversation and the manners of their 
possessor. The experienced eye of Boaz recog- 
nized in the lovely gleaner an individual of more 
than ordinary merit. He saw in her a person 
whom misfortune had reduced from a more favored 
condition in life to this state of dependence and 
want — one who was worthy of a better station. 
At once he feels a very great interest in her, and 
he asks his foreman who she is. Without a word 
or a look she had already deeply impressed the 
owner of the field in which she was gleaning, and 
had partly captivated his heart. 

Sometimes people iu humble circumstances com- 
plain that no one takes notice of them or cares for 
them, and that they can obtain no friendly recog- 
nition from those who are more favorably situated. 
In this fact, they find a great deal of discourage- 
ment. They feel that all their care and effort to 
lead a virtuous, honorable and meritorious life is 
unnoticed and unappreciated by those whose re- 
gard they value and desire. It must be admitted 
that a want of social position and advantages of 
fortune are oftentimes barriers to the friendly rec- 
ognition and the due acknowledgment of merit, 
but they are not insuperable barriers. There are 
graces of person, of mind and of character which 
outweigh everything else, and these often win 
against all. other odds. The charms of true woman- 
hood and the dignity and worth of true manhood 



BOOK OF RUTH. 7 1 

are almost omnipotent in the contest for social 
recognition and favor, and must triumph. This 
truth is illustrated in the life of Ruth and of many 
others whom the reader may know. Ruth made 
no effort to attract the attention of Boaz. Her 
circumstances were greatly against her. Her em- 
ployment was evidence that her lot was among the 
dependent poor. Yet she made this man of wealth 
and station feel interested in her, and inquire 
about her. How did she do it? No doubt nature 
had done much for her. She was attractive in her 
person. This was much in her favor. But this 
was not all. There was connected with her per- 
sonal beauty, true womanly grace and modesty. It 
was the way she did her work and behaved herself 
in the presence of others in her trying situation, 
more than anything else, that excited the special 
interest of Boaz in her. A woman with the charms 
of personal beauty, but without prudence, modesty 
and character, can gain and hold no favorable con- 
sideration with sensible men. Our greatest power 
lies first in a pure heart. Unconsciously our man- 
ners flow and derive their quality from the state of 
the heart. Our conduct, especially when we are 
off our guard, will be but a reflection of what we 
really are in our inmost nature. If we are good, 
true, faithful and worthy in our moral being, our 
worth and excellence will appear in our conversa- 
tion and manners. A superior nature will shine 



72 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

out of the eyes, beam in the face, ring in the tones 
of voice, and reveal itself in the movements of the 
body. Genuine good manners proceed from a gen- 
uine good heart, and good manners go a long way 
in attracting the favorable regard of others. Of 
course, artificial manners, polite conduct assumed 
as an outer garment to hide the vile vestments un- 
derneath, is a fraud, because it would make us be- 
lieve that the inner life is as gracious as it is repre- 
sented to be outwardly. Manners are valued not 
only because they are pleasing in themselves, but 
especially because they reveal the soul which 
shapes and orders them. They set before our 
mental eye a jewel far brighter and more precious 
than that which may dazzle the natural eye, as part 
of the outward ornament of dress. Manners are 
deeply significant. It is hard to believe that a 
blunt, rude person is really refined in nature and 
kind in heart. Let us ' ' keep the heart with all dili- 
gence, for out of it are the issues of life." As the 
heart is, so will we be, in all that is true and real in 
our life. First let the heart be true and clean and 
good, and then be true to its promptings, and the 
life will not lack the winning grace which will gain 
friends and command the esteem of others. 

But where is the evidence of Ruth's politeness? 
Are we not simply drawing a fancy sketch and 
throwing around her an ideal grace and attractive- 
ness? We have already noticed her piety, the no- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 73 

bility and excellence of her character, and her ad- 
mirable behavior towards her mother in law. We 
see her now in another sphere, and we expect one 
who has behaved so well at home to do herself 
credit abroad. She enters a field as a gleaner. The 
situation must be very embarrassing to her. She 
knows not as yet the owner of the field. The 
young men — the reapers, the binders, the maidens 
— all are strangers to her. She is not certain 
whether she will be allowed to remain and glean. 
The reapers, no doubt, glance significantly at each 
other as she enters. But her nobler nature comes 
to her support. She braces herself for the trial. 
She does not shrink away to the corner of the field 
and begin to glean until she is ordered away. She 
will not in this sneaking, cowardly way gain a 
partial advantage which otherwise may be totally 
denied her. But she goes modestly to the foreman 
and politely requests the privilege to glean. The 
form of her request is so respectful, so dignified, so 
appropriate, that no gentleman could refuse it. "I 
pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers 
among the sheaves." Her request was granted, 
and so quietly and industriously did she attend to 
her work that when the owner of the field inquired 
about her, his foreman could answer, "She hath 
continued even from morning until now, that she 
tarried a little in the house;" that is, in the booth 
put up in the field for shelter from the heat of the 
sun and for refreshment. 



74 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

Ruth's star now begins to rise. It would seem 
that her graceful manners had won the good will 
both of the foreman and of Boaz. One secret of all 
this is, that God's favor was with her. She was a 
daughter of faith and prayer, and the blessing of 
God was on her life and her labors. Where the 
Spirit of the Lord pervades the heart and life, there 
is a mysterious influence exerted to win friendly 
consideration and aid from others. 

On hearing this favorable report concerning the 
comely gleaner, Boaz spoke to her in the most 
friendly and encouraging manner. We see the gen- 
erousness of his heart in his kindly treatment of this 
poor and lonely woman. Ruth may have been 
near enough to have overheard the conversation 
between Boaz and his overseer, but she prudently 
kept silent. At least this seems to be the case from 
the manner in which the conversation between her 
and Boaz opens. u Hearest thou not, my daugh- 
ter?" he asks. How soothing these kind words 
must have been to that sore heart. What power 
there is in the rich to'encourage and help the poor! 
The heart of Boaz kindles with kindness as he 
speaks, and he proceeds to give Ruth advice, and 
tells her to glean only in his field, to remain close 
to his maidens, giving her equal privileges with his 
reapers to drink of the water which they had 
drawn, and directing them at the same time to 
treat her with becoming civility. This may have 



BOOK OF RUTH. 75 

been necessary, for it is not uncommon for reapers 
in that country, even at this day, to indulge in 
rude jests at the expense of the helpless gleaners. 
This seems to have been the humane and honor- 
able motive of Boaz in advising Ruth to glean in 
his field only. He desired to shield her from the 
insults which might have been offered her else- 
where. It is one of the noblest traits of true man- 
hood to protect a defenceless woman from insult 
and abuse. 

This great kindness touched the heart of Ruth 
very deeply. It was so unlike what she had ex- 
perienced since she left her own country. In ac- 
cordance with the intense manners of the East, 
"She fell on her face, and bowed herself to the 
ground, and said unto him, 'Why have I found 
grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take know- 
ledge of me, seeing I am a stranger! 1 ' What a 
feeling of self-humility these words reveal ! She 
claimed no favors on personal grounds, though she 
was most deserving in character and life. 

But there were more than personal charms and 
agreeable manners to win favor for her from others. 
Her noble conduct towards her mother in law, her 
quiet submission to the will of God, her patient 
endurance of her sorrow and her poverty, her he- 
roic choice of the God of Israel and of a residence 
among His people, had all come to the knowledge 
of Boaz, her wealthy kinsman. A worthy life lay 



76 REFLECTIONS OX THE 

back of her attractive person and manners. If we 
would have the regard of others we must not only 
have natural gifts and graces, but must have also 
acquired worth. We must earn the good opinion 
of others by what we do — by our conduct. Do not 
fear that devotion to duty, that uprightness of life, 
that self-sacrifice for the good of others, that faith- 
fulness in anything, will not come to the know- 
ledge of others. Such a life is a light which can- 
not be hid. God knows it, and He will see to it 
that the right persons behold it. 

Those were the days of stern trial for Ruth when 
she first came to Bethlehem. No one befriended 
her — not even her late husband's relations, not the 
people of God with whom she had cast in her lot. 
Yet that was just the time that the sterling quali- 
ties of her character were tested and revealed. It 
was then that the evidence of her true worth was 
brought out, and it was on this account that Boaz 
showed her such distinguished favor when he met 
her in the harvest field. This is evident in the an- 
swer which he gave to her inquiry as to the reason 
why she should have found favor in his sight. He 
said : "It hath been fully shewed me, all that thou 
hast done unto thy mother in law since the death 
of thy husband ; and now thou hast left thy father 
and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and 
art come unto a people which thou knewest not 
hitherto. ' ' The life of Ruth had not been hid from 



BOOK OF RUTH. y/ 

the notice of her husband's friends. All these days 
of solitude, of trial, of struggle against adversity, 
of apparent neglect from those whose sympathy 
and help she had a right to expect and receive, her 
exemplary life was observed. Her worth was be- 
coming known. One of the noblest of her near 
kinsmen saw her great merit, and was willing to 
acknowledge and reward it. He felt that it was 
but just that such a person should be treated with 
kindness and consideration, and in the warmth and 
piety of his heart, said to her, "The Lord God re- 
ward thy work, and a full reward be given thee of 
the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou 
art come to trust." 

The good will of Boaz, so beautifully expressed, 
did not end in mere words, but he made himself at 
once the Lord's agent to carry out his pious desire. 
He admitted his poor but deserving relative to cer- 
tain privileges and benefactions. He invited her 
to his table. He was not aristocratic in his man- 
ners, as is the case with most men who are rich 
and of high standing in society. He dined with 
his reapers. The fare was very simple. The less 
ripe ears of barley were roasted, and then rubbed 
in the hand and eaten. This is considered- to this 
day in the East very palatable food. Of this he 
gave to Ruth. She also shared in the bread, dipped 
in the sour wine, which was very cooling and re- 
freshing: in that hot climate. Thus the gleaner, 



78 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

by the kindness shown by the owner of the field, is 
made equal to the maidens who bound the sheaves. 

This thing of social caste! how circumstantial, 
and how unreasonable and unjust too, it often is in 
those it recognizes and those it ignores! Where 
true merit is found, it is the grossest form of self- 
ishness and injustice not to recognize it and accord 
to it its rightful position in society on the part of 
those who occupy station and influence. The 
mere accident of birth and fortune should not out- 
weigh talent, culture, and character. A person is 
of infinitely more value than the mere outward 
trappings of life. 

But the generosity of Boaz did not stop even 
here. He commanded his young men, saying, 
Let her glean even among the sheaves, and re- 
proach her not. And let fall also some of the 
handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that 
she may glean, and rebuke her not. Here we see 
a considerate and a commendable kindness. Boaz 
did not at once give Ruth an ephah of barley, as 
he might easily have done, and sent her home 
laden with the generous gift, but he made every 
necessary arrangement by which she could gather 
it during the day. He adopted the very best 
method of assisting and encouraging her — the 
method which is best suited to help the poor, and 
especially, poor relations. It is not by bestowing 
on them a yearly allowance, but by putting them 



BOOK OF RUTH. 79 

in the way of earning their own living, by starting 
them in business, or giving them employment and 
paying them generously for their services. In this 
way their self-respect is not compromised, their 
feeling of independence is maintained, and they 
are the happier and more useful for being profit- 
ably occupied. This should not be done in a pa- 
tronizing manner, so as to make the person whom 
we are favoring feel that he is made partaker of 
our bounty, but it should be done in a straightfor- 
ward, business-like way. The spirit of friendliness 
and kindness should run through every such trans- 
action. Boaz did not overlook this principle. He 
did everything in the most delicate manner. In 
everything he spared the feelings of Ruth, and 
shielded her from the reproach to which her hum- 
ble lot exposed her. He gave special orders to his 
reapers not to rebuke or reproach the humble 
gleaner. How honorable and thoughtful and mag- 
nanimous this order was! It is a bitter thing for 
the poor not only to gain their scanty living by 
hard toil, but especially to suffer reproach because 
of their humble lot and of the kind of labor by 
which they must win their daily bread. No one 
should be slighted or treated with small respect be- 
cause his station in life may be lowly, or because 
of his employment, provided it be decent and 
useful. The rather, such should be encouraged 
and praised for their patient endurance, for their 



80 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

self-denial, for their virtuous life under so great 
adversity and hardship and discouragement. Be- 
fore God every calling is honorable, if it be pursued 
for the welfare of man and the glory of His name. 
All He asks of us is that we be faithful in the 
spheres in which He has placed us. If we fulfill 
this condition, we have His approval and blessing. 



RUTH'S RETURN TO NAOMI. 



RUTH ii. 18-23. 

And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother 
in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and 
gave to her that she had left after she was sufficed. And her 
mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? 
and where wroughtest thou ? blessed be he that did take know- 
ledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom 
she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I 
wrought to-day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter in 
law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kind- 
ness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the 
man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen. And 
Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt 
keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my har- 
vest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is 
good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that 
they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the 
maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of 
wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother in law. 
(82) 



CHAPTER VI. 

RUTH'S RETURN TO NAOMI. 

/w jNE of the chief pleasures of life is the return 
\ J home at evening after the day's work is 
^^ done. If the toiler has a true home, he will 
meet some one there who will greet him pleasantly, 
enter into his sympathies, and cheer him with 
agreeable conversation. The blessings of home 
cannot well be exaggerated. It is a resting place 
for body and mind. It is a pleasant retreat from 
the active warfare of life, which must be waged 
day after day in the various pursuits that we fol- 
low. It is a refuge from all that is annoying, op- 
pressive and galling in our intercourse with the 
outside world. There the commands of employer 
are not heard, and the eye of the overseer or task- 
master does not gaze. There the flowers of affec- 
tion bloom, and the religious and social virtues of 
the soul are cherished and cultivated. There sor- 
rows and joys are mutually shared ; the burdens of 
life lightened ; its roughness smoothed ; its bitter- 
ness sweetened; and its pleasures increased and 
multiplied. The Divine benevolence is revealed 

by which He 
(33) 



84 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

"setteth the solitary in families" and establishes 
homes among men. Home is a bulwark against 
all evil, and a safeguard to all good. The person 
who has no true home to go to after the day's 
labor is done loses much of the pleasure and com- 
fort of life. How glad Ruth must have been when 
she could leave the harvest field, and hide herself 
from the curious eyes and varied criticisms of the 
reapers and maidens in the humble home she had 
with Naomi in Bethlehem. 

There is a. valuable lesson in the simple fact that 
she brought home in the evening the results of her 
day's gleaning. All through the day she gathered 
her bread ear by ear, and after Boaz had given his 
liberal orders to his reapers, occasionally, handful 
by handful. At evening she had a number of 
sheaves, but her grain was yet in the ear. Her 
next duty was to take care of what she had thus 
gathered. She did not set it aside, and say, "I 
have done enough for one day; I will now return to 
my home and leave the barley sheaves to be beaten 
out at some other time," but she took measures at 
once to secure the fruit of her day's labor. She beat 
the grain out of the chaff and removed it and took 
it home. In so doing, she acted wisely. Many per- 
sons, after they have labored hard, lose the reward 
of their labor by not taking care of their earnings. 
Some value them too much and hoard them, and 
thus fail to enjoy the good of them or to do the 



BOOK OF RUTH. 85 

good with them that they should, whilst others 
value their earnings too little, and allow them to be 
wasted, or squander them in reckless expenditures. 
To know how to spend money is as important as to 
know how to earn it. If rightly used, it is a great 
blessing; if wrongly used, it may become a curse. 
We should make a wise use of all the gifts of Provi- 
dence, and employ our temporal gains in minister- 
ing to our own comfort and welfare, in doing good 
to men and in honoring God. Many never bring 
their earnings home — at least a good part of them. 
They are spent for that which is not bread, and as 
a consequence, wives and children suffer want, and 
the housekeeping is embarrassed and uncomfort- 
able. Let us learn from the example of this pious 
woman what to do with our wages. Let us bring 
them home to procure for the family bread, apparel 
and other comforts. 

It is worthy of notice also that Ruth was not 
ashamed to carry the results of her day's toil with 
her. Of course, manners were more simple among 
those people than they are with us. But the prin- 
ciple of doing bravely what our hands find to do, 
is the same in all ages and everywhere. A false 
pride stands in the way of many a person's useful- 
ness and comfort. There is a feeling that certain 
kinds of work are more genteel and respectable 
than other employments, that some avenues of 
trade, business and labor, are less refined and 



86 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

honorable, and below the social caste of persons 
who are well thought of in life. We readily admit 
that there are employments which are dishonor- 
able, degrading and censurable. But they are such 
as are immoral in themselves, or as work injury to 
society. But any kind of industry which belongs 
to the common work and welfare of human life, 
should not be looked upon as inconsistent with an 
honorable and respectable manhood or womanhood. 
A cobbler may be as noble-minded and as manly 
in his aims and principles as the favored son of 
fortune whose shoes he mends, and the servant girl 
may be as virtuous and as womanly in her instincts 
and aspirations as her mistress. These adverse dis- 
tinctions in life are arbitrary, and not founded on 
deep inward principle and merit. 

" Honor and shame from no condition rise ; 
Act well your part, there all the honor lies." 

The positions we occupy are assigned to us by the 
appointments of Divine Providence, and whether 
they be considered lowly or exalted by our fellow- 
men, our honor and welfare lie in doing well what is 
assigned us in the spheres in which we are placed. 
Above all things, it should be our aim to enjoy the 
approval of God, and we know that He takes pleas- 
ure in us not for the kind of work we do, but for 
the manner and spirit with which we do it. 

Don't be squeamish about work. No useful em- 
ployment is disgraceful, but idleness is. The per- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 87 

son is to be pitied whose circumstances make some 
useful employment necessary, but who cannot find 
the kind of work which he thinks accords with his 
social position. He will suffer want and endless 
mortification rather than compromise his standing 
in the estimation of his friends by engaging in 
labor which is regarded as below his station. 
There is need of a revision of sentiment on this 
subject. Many persons are forced into a most dis- 
tressing idleness on account of the false views 
which are entertained with reference to different 
classes of employments. Why not esteem all use- 
ful employment as honorable, as it really is, and 
thus throw off the petty tyranny which public 
opinion has so long exercised ? Far be it from any 
one whose lot it is to labor in a sphere which she 
may regard as below her social position, far be it 
from her to esteem herself any the less on account 
of her work. If, like Ruth, you must glean, and 
by your occupation must reveal the straits to which 
your misfortunes have reduced you, maintain your 
self-respect; hold up your head in the conscious- 
ness of your innocence and worth. Count yourself 
as inferior to none on this account. Outward con- 
dition does not make merit. A harlot may live in 
ease, and dress in silks and jewels. A fool may be 
born in a palace, and ride in a sumptuous coach. 
You may have as good an understanding, as true and 
noble a heart, arid as fair a character, as any of the 



88 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

daughters of men whose fortunes may give them 
external advantages over you. We value persons 
by* their souls, not by their wealth or titles. The 
rarest jewel is often hid beneath an humble garb. 
Do not undervalue it or throw it away. It will 
command its price some day. The modest gleaner 
was promoted in due time, and at this day she is 
known over half the world, while the silly people 
who may have laughed at her when she toiled in 
the field, and carried her ephah of barley through 
the streets of Bethlehem, were forgotten almost as 
soon as their graves were closed over them. Learn 
to value what is truly precious in life, and other 
objects will have less weight in determining your 
conduct. A life well lived is noble, honorable, 
and successful, whether it be public or private, ex- 
alted or lowly. Many of God's most useful ser- 
vants and most illustrious saints were chosen from 
the lowly walks of life. There is a deeper princi- 
ple of honor than that of mere circumstance. The 
good, the true, the faithful, are the honorable and 
estimable people of earth, no matter what may be 
their outward estate, and these will be honored on 
the great day of accounts when the righteous Judge 
shall mete out His rewards. 

But Ruth possessed yet other virtues. She was 
self-denying and generous-hearted. Boaz had in- 
vited her to dine with him. His heart was very 
kindly disposed towards her, and he helped her very 



BOOK OF RUTH. 89 

generously — more than sufficient. She did not cast 
away any part of what remained over after she had 
completed her meal, but remembering the scanty 
allowance which her mother in law had for that 
day, she considerately kept it and carried it to her. 
Thus she "showed piety at home," as St. Paul 
calls the support of aged parents by their children. 

It is surprising how many virtues are found in a 
person who truly fears God and serves Him. Hav- 
ing the heart right in the chief things, it is uncon- 
sciously right in the minor details of life. Without 
taking thought, it spontaneously does innumerable 
acts of love and righteousness. ' ' Love is the fulfill- 
ing of the law. ' ' Ruth did so many good and noble 
things, not because she had a studied design, but be- 
cause her heart was full of the fear and love of God. 

The success of the day's gleaning as it appeared 
in the ephah of barley which Ruth brought home, 
somewhat surprised Naomi. She had a suspicion 
that her daughter in law had met with special kind- 
ness, and she asked, "Where hast thou gleaned to- 
day? and where wroughtest thou?" This inquiry 
was from no idle curiosity, or evil motive, but from 
a feeling of genuine interest in the fair gleaner. A 
parent has the right, yea it is his duty, to inquire 
where his child spends his time and how and with 
whom he spends it. This knowledge is necessary 
in order that the parent may be able to give the 
needful counsel, caution, encouragement, or re- 



90 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

bnke. Parents should know where their children 
are during the day, and especially at night. Ruth 
as a dutiful child frankly told her mother in law 
where she had gleaned that day and how she fared, 
not failing to mention the kindness which Boaz 
had shown her. Sons or daughters who have re- 
gard for their welfare will not conceal from their 
parents the paths in which they walk, so that they 
may guard them from danger on the one hand 
and assist them in surmounting difficulties on the 
other. Certainly Ruth lost nothing by letting Na- 
omi know where she gleaned, and all about the 
kind things which the proprietor of the field had 
said to her. As a rule, daughters are gainers for 
making their mothers their confidants and advisers 
in social and other matters. No one else has a 
deeper interest in their welfare, and no one else will 
give such sincere and safe counsel. Much of the 
success and happiness of children depend on their 
asking and following the advice of their parents. 

There is one feature of this charming history of 
Ruth which is clearly marked, and that is its in- 
tense religiousness. We see it in her firm resolve 
to live and die with Naomi, and to serve and trust 
in the God of Israel. We see it in her silent sub- 
mission in the day of sorrow and adversity, and her 
patient endurance under neglect and poverty. We 
see it in the mutual greetings of Boaz and his reap- 
ers. We see it again when Ruth comes home 



BOOK OF RUTH. 9 1 

laden with the gatherings of her day's toil in the 
harvest field. The sense of gratitude is earnest, 
and the Giver of all good is duly acknowledged in 
the words of thanksgiving which were then spoken 
by Naomi — u Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath 
not left off his kindness to the living and the dead." 
The piety which breathes in this sentence, and in 
the whole story of her life, has led a late writer to 
make the following reflections on it: "Despite 
centuries of oppression, division and religious de- 
cay, it breathes a lofty spirit to Jehovah, which 
appears at every turn. It is He who has given His 
people bread ; He who deals kindly with the 
w 7 idow ; He who grants her that she may rest in 
the house of a husband. But it is He who tries the 
children of men, and from whose hand afflictions go 
out against them. Indeed, He at times deals 'very 
bitterly,' even with those who love Him, but He is 
still their God, under whose wings they trust, and 
who recompenses man's work and gives him a full 
reward. He is no mere name to which to turn in 
formal rites, but a Father — the Friend and Pro- 
tector, yet also, the sovereign Judge and I^ord — 
demanding obedience and heavily punishing sin. 
That such conceptions still found a home in Israel, 
after more than four hundred years of moral and 
political degradation, and still filled the life of 
some at least with the thought of God, and of their 
race being His chosen people, was the guarantee 



92 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

of future national regeneration. It was certain 
that, ever and again, such truths would assert 
themselves in the hearts of the nation, and bring 
with them political as well as moral renewal ; the 
one, indeed, as the result of the other." "That so 
much worth and religious earnestness should still 
remain in the hidden nooks of the land was indeed 
the best pledge of its rise hereafter from the dis- 
asters of the present." 

Naomi learned with delight that Ruth had 
gleaned in the field of Boaz and that she had found 
/avor in his sight. She recognized him at once as 
a near kinsman, whose duty it was to redeem their 
land, to protect them in their rights, and to marry 
Ruth, as the widow of his next nearest relative. 
At least he was one of those near relatives. It ap- 
pears that there was but one other who stood more 
nearly related to the late husband of Ruth than he. 

When Ruth was about to leave the field of Boaz 
in the evening, he generously invited her to glean 
in his field. Naomi advised her to accept this gen- 
erous invitation. It was best for her to do so, be- 
cause if "she be found straying in other fields," 
she might not only run the risk of rude treatment, 
but displease him by a seeming indifference to his 
liberal offer. Moreover, the observant mind of 
Naomi had already discerned in the kind attentions 
which Boaz had given her daughter in law, the 
motions of a tender passion for her, which she de- 
sired to encourage and strengthen. 



THE ENGAGEMENT. 



RUTH iii. 1-18. 

And Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, 
shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee ? 
And now is there not Boaz, our kinsman, with whose maidens 
thou wast? Behold, he winuoweth barley to-night in the 
threshing-floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and 
put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing- 
floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall 
have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth 
down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and 
thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and 
he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, 
All that thou sayest I will do And she went down unto the 
threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother in law 
bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart 
was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn : 
and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. 
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and 
turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he 
said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine hand- 
maid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou 
art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, 
my daughter: thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end 
than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young 
men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not : 
I will do to thee all that thou sayest, for all the city of my peo- 
ple doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is 
true that I am a near kinsman : howbeit there is a kinsman 
nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, 
that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well ; 
let him do the kinsman's part ; but if he will not do the part of 
a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to 
thee, as the Lord liveth : lie down until the morning. And she 
lay at his feet until the morning : and she rose up before 
one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known 
that the woman came to the threshing-floor. And he said, 
Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it : and she held 
it: and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her : 
and he went into the city. And when she came to her 
mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter ? And she 
told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These 
six measures of barley gave he me : for he said, Go not empty 
unto thy mother in law. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, 
until thou know how the matter will fall : for the man will not 
rest, until he have finished the thing this day. 






ei 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE ENGAGEMENT. 

*AOMI had a very tender regard for Ruth. 
Her condition was such as to justly 
awaken feelings of pity. She was young 
and widowed and poor, and the lot of the widow in 
Syria to this da} 7 , under the most favorable circum- 
stances, is sad and deplorable. She would, therefore 
seek a husband and a home for her — a rest from the 
hard toil and the pinching want to which her pres- 
ent condition subjected her. To this end she forms 
her plan and gives her instructions. No modern 
matchmaker could be more skillful than was Naomi, 
or maiden more modestly careful to do her best to 
please than was Ruth, as she "washes and anoints 
herself, and puts on her best clothes." Thus she 
makes ready to meet Boaz and captivate his heart. 
The manner in which this meeting took place is 
so peculiar, and differs so radically from our cus- 
toms, that we must suspend our judgment as to its 
modesty and propriety until we have considered 
the manners of that age and country. This we 
will do after we have stated the facts as they are 
furnished us in the sacred record. 
(95) 



96 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

The interview was planned by Naomi, and it was 
arranged that Ruth should go to the threshing-floor 
at evening, where she would meet Boaz, and claim 
from him the right of marriage. According to the 
customs of those people there was nothing bold or 
improper in this claim. It was so provided in their 
law, bearing the divine sanction, that when a 
brother died without issue, the brother of the late 
husband, or next nearest relative, in case of no liv- 
ing brother, was to marry the widow. Ruth was 
sent to the threshing-floor of Boaz, because lie 
lodged there during harvest. The wheat or barley 
which was reaped during the day was beaten out 
in the evening and winnowed by the breeze which 
prevails after sunset. The farmer usually remained 
over night at the threshing-floor at this time, both 
to protect the grain, (for the threshing-floor was an 
open place in the field,) and also to superintend the 
winnowing. This duty, at so important a time, 
the master undertakes himself. Accordingly, Boaz, 
a man of considerable wealth and of social promi- 
nence, laid himself down to sleep on the barn floor, 
at the end of the heap of barley he had been win- 
nowing, after having eaten and drunk with his 
men. Ruth was a silent observer, and unseen by 
Boaz. She marked the place where he lay down, 
and after he had fallen into the deep sleep which 
the weary enjoy, "she stole quietly up to him and 
lay down at his feet. Singular as this conduct may 



BOOK OF RUTH. 97 

seem to us, it was according to the instructions of 
her mother in law, and to the simple manners of 
those people. To us it seems unbecoming and 
censurable, but it was not so considered by any of 
the parties concerned. It was doubtless in accord- 
ance with prevailing usage, and Ruth followed this 
course innocently, in order to remind Boaz of the 
duty which devolved on him as the near kinsman 
of her late husband. u Boaz probably slept on a 
mat, or a skin; Ruth lay crosswise at his feet, a 
position in which Eastern servants frequently sleep 
in the same chamber or tent with their masters, 
and if they want any covering, custom allows them 
that benefit from part of the covering on their mas- 
ter's bed. " " Resting, as the Orientals do at night, 
in the same clothes they wear during the day, there 
was no indelicacy in a stranger, or even a woman, 
of putting the extremity of this cover over her." 
"She had already drawn part of the mantle over 
her, and she asked him now to do it, that the act . 
might become his own. To spread a skirt (cloak) 
over one is, in the Hast, a symbolical action denot- 
ing protection. To this day, in many parts of the 
East, to say of any one that he had put his skirt 
over a woman is synonymous with saying that he 
married her, and at all the marriages of the mod- 
ern Jews and Hindoos, one part of the ceremony is 
for the bridegroom to put a silken or cotton cloak 
around his bride." We insist here, that improper 
7 



9o REFLECTX)NS ON THE 

and censurable as Ruth's conduct may seem to us, 
there was nothing indelicate in it, as judged by the 
customs of that ageand people. So Boaz regarded 
it. When he discovered her presence he did not 
chide her or reproach her, but spoke approvingly, 
and pronounced her "Blessed of the Lord." He 
then sets his approval to her procedure by granting 
her request and testifying to her innocence, "for 
all the city of my people doth know that thou art a 
virtuous woman." The honorable repute of Ruth 
is a sufficient vindication of her conduct. Her mo- 
tives were pure and right. Persons of her character 
do not seek questionable surroundings. And so 
Boaz understood her conduct. It was consistent 
with the honor and good name of both under the 
usages which were prevalent among them. 

Yet the situation was of such a nature that the 
tongue of slander could easily take advantage of it, 
and use it to the scandal and injury of the inno- 
cent. Hence Boaz, in his desire to shield her and 
himself from needless suspicion and mischievous 
comment, advised her to return to her home before 
daylight. It is wise and right not to place our- 
selves in circumstances to which unfavorable sus- 
picion may be attached, even if our motives are 
good and our conduct is unblamable. We should 
endeavor to live in such a manner that our good is 
not evil spoken of. But it is still better, if, un- 
wittingly, or by unavoidable circumstances, we 



BOOK OF RUTH. 99 

are found in untoward surroundings, and the eye 
of suspicion discovers us, our known life is so- 
honest and true that everyone who knows us will 
at once, as did Boaz with Ruth, declare us inno- 
cent. After all, our best vindication from injurious 
reports is a virtuous and a righteous life. Whilst 
our conduct should be guarded so as always to be 
free from the suspicion of impropriety, yet we have 
nothing to say in defence of that suspicious temper 
which almost makes a virtuous friendship between 
persons of opposite sex impossible without injur- 
ious remark and dark hints at a spotless reputation. 

Ruth returned from the threshing floor of Boaz 
with satisfactory evidence of his appreciation of 
her virtues and claims. He assured her of his will- 
ingness to discharge his duties as a near kinsman, 
and sent her away with a liberal allowance of bar- 
ley. 

Blessings now begin to multiply upon the fair 
Moabite widow. At every step her cause prospers 
more than she expected. She has won the love 
and confidence of her late husband's kinsman, and 
she no longer lacks the comforts of life. Every- 
where, in whatever she undertakes, the Divine 
blessing rests on her. She has feared God, trusted 
in Him and done right in days of adversity, and nqw 
the cloud which had lowered in her sky is scattered, 
and most cheering light shines on her path. She 
realizes the faithfulness of God's promise to those 



IOO REFLECTIONS ON THE 

who trust in Him. Verily, "Godliness is profit- 
able unto all things, having promise of the life that 
now is and of that which is to come." Whom the 
Lord blesses, is blessed indeed ; His favor is worth 
more than all things else. 



REMOVING LEGAL HINDERANCES. 



RUTH iv. 1-8. 

Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there : 
and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by ; 
unto whom he said, Ho, such a one ! turn aside, sit down 
here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took 
ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. 
And they sat down. And he said unto the near kinsman, 
Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth 
the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's : and I 
thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that 
sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt re- 
deem it, redeem it : but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, 
that I may know ; for there is none to redeem it Reside thee ; 
and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said 
Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, 
thou must buy it also of Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the 
dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. 
And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I 
mar mine own inheritance ; take thou my right of redemption 
on thee ; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the custom in 
former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning 
exchanging, for to confirm all things; a man drew off his shoe, 
and gave it to his neighbor : and this was the manner of attes- 
tation in Israel. So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it 
for thyself. And he drew off his shoe. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

REMOVING LEGAL HINDERANCES. 

\ Y J K are always gratified to learn that persons 
WW who have experienced much sorrow and 
misfortune, and who have been patient 
and faithful through it all, have at last been 
cheered and blest with bright and prosperous days. 
The sense of justice in us seems to call for such a 
turn in the fortunes of mankind. When those who 
have suffered many ills come at length to enjoy 
many blessings, we are agreeably impressed with 
the happy adjustment of the inequalities of life. 
But this is not always the case. It is often ordered 
differently by a wise and gracious Providence, and 
the course of affliction and adversity is allowed to 
run on unchanged to the end of life. When there 
is a meek and patient endurance of afflictions, and 
also believing prayer for their removal, and yet no 
special token of Divine favor is manifested, either 
in the bestowment of temporal comforts or in relief 
from the cause of suffering, we may be quite certain 
that the same merciful Disposer who appoints them 
in the beginning sees that it is best they should not 
(103) 



104 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

be taken away. There is much in this reflection 
to reconcile the unfortunate and afflicted to their 
lot. God intends to work for them the greater 
happiness and glory through their present suffer- 
ings. To a good man, no truth gives more pa- 
tience and submission under trials and afflictions, 
than that it is the will of God that he should bear 
them. 

We are glad to come to that period in Ruth's 
life, when good fortune overtakes her and she is a 
second time made happy. But a few years ago she 
was introduced to us a joyful bride. Her introduc- 
tion was so abrupt that we had little time for ac- 
quaintance with her, and for the growth of those 
personal attachments which would make us feel 
interested in her marriage. We scarcely thought 
of the happiness she felt and the bright hopes she 
entertained when she became a wife, nor did we 
sympathize with her as deeply then as we can now 
since we know her better, in the sorrow she felt 
when those bright hopes were so soon blasted and 
destroyed. 

For one so young, she had seen a good deal of 
sorrow. Her girlhood had no doubt been as pleas- 
ant and happy as it could be in a heathen country, 
with heathen sentiments and customs. Her mar- 
riage with Mahlon was a narrow belt of light shin- 
ing for a brief period across her path, and then it 
was deeply shaded by the solemn gloom of bereave- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 105 

inent, widowhood, poverty and loneliness. In all 
right marriages, there is always felt a spirit of joy 
and hope, which fills the future with bright pic- 
tures of contentment, peace and happiness. Yet 
no one knows how soon bereavement sorrows, and 
other trials will cast their deep shadows on the 
bright and beautiful scene which the ardor of 
youthful fancy had created. • Marriage has its 
cross, as well as its crown of ivy and flowers. It is 
a step to be taken thoughtfully as well as hope- 
fully. Life is not a mere dream, but a stern reality. 
Ruth had forsaken father and mother, the home of 
her childhood and the friends of her youth. But 
how great and unexpected the change which comes 
over her in a few years! Still young and full of 
hope and warm impulses, she is widowed and sep- 
' arated from her youthful companions, and made 
the associate of an aged relative, the mother of her 
late husband, who herself is saddened and burdened 
with the sorrows of widowhood and poverty. De- 
prived of her natural support, her necessities com- 
pel her to go into the harvest field of one who is as 
yet a stranger to her, to glean, and thus, under the 
scorching rays of a Syrian sun, to gather her scanty 
bread. We can scarcely imagine a case more piti- 
ful and unfortunate, and more calculated to draw 
out our sympathies towards her. And her condi- 
tion touches us all the more sensibly because, un- 
der all her adversity and sorrow, she is so uncom- 



106 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

plaining, submissive, dutiful, affectionate, devot- 
edly pious, — so single-hearted and determined in 
her purpose to do right and to serve God. 

We are always glad to hear that good fortune 
comes back to such a person. And so it turned 
out with Ruth. The favorable regard which Boaz 
had conceived for her from the first time he had 
seen her, ripened into a noble and unselfish love, 
and he engaged himself to perform all that his 
near relationship required of him. This was vir- 
tually the same as an engagement to marry her. 
At this point in her life, her humility and poverty 
end. 

The liberal gift of Boaz already supplies her 
present wants. She does not need to return to the 
field and glean. By the advice of her mother in 
law, she remains at home and quietly waits to see 
what will become of the marital negotiations which 
have been so auspiciously inaugurated. She abides 
in her humble home as the prospective wife of one 
of the richest and most influential men in all Beth- 
lehem. 

But there is a slight hinderance to this expected 
union. It is often the case that some obstacle 
must be removed before this interesting contract 
can be definitely made and fully consummated. 
Ruth has one kinsman more nearly related to her 
than Boaz. Under the Mosaic law, it is his duty 
to redeem the property of Naomi and Ruth and to 



BOOK OF RUTH. IO7 

marry the latter, and Boaz will not enter into any 
final engagement to do either, until the nearer re- 
lative declines to perform his duty, or as it would 
seem in this case, claim his privilege. What 
would be his decision in the matter, was, no doubt, 
a source of uneasiness both to Ruth and Boaz, as 
they seem to have been mutually pleased with each 
other, and it would have been a grievous sacrifice 
of sentiment to forbid the marriage of two hearts, 
in order to carry out a legal observance and form- 
ally join two persons in a mere outward union. 
Fortunately for Boaz, as it appears, the other kins- 
man had never seen Ruth. An acquaintance with 
her might have brought about a very different re- 
sult. But in the absence of all personal attraction 
and sympathy, the nearer kinsman looked on the 
proposed marriage from a purely business point of 
view. To redeem the inheritance of Naomi and 
Ruth, would not, in his judgment, be a profitable 
investment, even with Ruth included in the bar- 
gain, and he declines to do as the law requires. 
Perhaps he was unwilling to marry Ruth because 
she was poor, and a stranger, a Moabitess. To the 
great happiness of Boaz, the nearer kinsman of 
Ruth refused to act in accordance with the Mo- 
saic law, and thus the way was open for Boaz 
to redeem the estate of Blimelech, which seems 
to have been mortgaged many years previous to 
that date, and to make Ruth his wife. Boaz 



108 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

would have no other than a legal marriage with 
Ruth. 

In this matter, he acted not only honorably, but 
righteously. His love for Ruth was not a wilful 
passion which blindly sought her hand, regardless 
of the honor and welfare of both of them, but a 
rational affection. The man who marries clandes- 
tinely and in violation of the law, does so to the 
disgrace and injury both of himself and his affi- 
anced wife. In such case, the affection of some 
heart is blasted, and the withering blight of ini- 
quity will fall on another so soon as the fraud and 
crime are discovered. The person who thus vic- 
timizes and ruins an innocent and confiding maiden 
deserves the contempt and execration of his fellow- 
men. Our laws against offences of this nature are 
far too lenient. The man or woman who sows the 
seeds of disappointment, misery and ruin by disre- 
garding the sacred rights and obligations of matri- 
mony, should be punished severely. It is a fearful 
crime to trample upon the heart of another, and to 
destroy its peace and happiness for life. 

It may be proper to state here that the Mosaic 
law required the oldest brother, yet unmarried, or 
the next of kin in case no brother survived, to re- 
deem the estate of a deceased brother or kinsman, 
if it was involved, and to marry his widow if she 
was still childless. This was a very benevolent 
law. It left no room for surviving relatives or de- 



BOOK OF RUTH. IO9 

signing and covetous persons to strip the widow of 
the property on which she depended for a living, 
or to distress her on account of the debts which 
might be upon it. Instead of taking a mean ad- 
vantage of the widow's helpless condition and forc- 
ing the property into market to pay the remaining 
indebtedness, and thus to acquire it at a low figure, 
as is sometimes done, he is required to assume the 
debt and take her for his wife. This law is a great 
kindness and protection to the widow. 

It was especially wise and merciful in the Bast, 
where the state of widowhood is so very sad and 
distressing, — where the unfortunate widow must 
not only bear the sorrows of bereavement, but also 
the slights of her own relations and often the hard- 
ships and privations of poverty. In countries 
where the principles of justice are so well defined 
and the laws of humanity are so generally recog- 
nized as in our own, this peculiar law of Moses is 
not so necessary. And yet with all our well- 
defined laws and our generous sentiments in favor 
of the widow, it is often the case that her rights 
are not protected, and that she is defrauded and 
robbed by wicked and designing men. A more 
dastardly crime could not have been alleged against 
the canting Pharisees by our Lord than the accu- 
sation that they were " robbers of widows' houses." 
The person who takes advantage of a widow's in- 
experience in business, and especially if she have a 



IIO REFLECTIONS ON THE 

family to rear and educate, to deprive her of her 
lawful property and means of support, should be 
branded as a thief and a robber, and should be so 
treated by his fellow-men. There are too many 
crimes of this character overlooked or condoned, 
because they are veiled under a pretext of legal 
right, or lingering processes of law. No matter 
how the foul iniquity is perpetrated, the act should 
be held as cowardly, unmanly and infamous. The 
man who thrives on the wrongs he commits against 
the widow and the orphan, should be considered 
as one of the most despicable of sinners. Be not 
deceived. God will judge the man who oppresses 
the widow and the orphan. 



THE MARRIAGE. 



RUTH iv. 9-22. 

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are 
witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, 
and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 
Moreover, Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I 
purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon 
his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from 
among his brethren, and from the gate of his place : ye are wit- 
nesses this day- And all the people that were in the gate, and 
the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman 
that is to come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, 
which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in 
Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem: and let thy house be 
like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the 
seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. So 
Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife ; and he went in unto 
her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. 
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which 
hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman, and let his 
name be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer 
of life, and a nourisher of thine old age : for thy daughter in 
law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, 
hath borne him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her 
bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women, her neigh- 
bors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi ; and 
they called his name Obed : He is the father of Jesse, the father 
of David. 

Now these are the generations of Perez : Perez begat Hezron, 
and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, and Am- 
minadab begat Nashon, and Nashon begat Salmon, and Salmon 
begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and 
Jesse begat David. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE MARRIAGE. 

(j I HE marriage customs of the East are rather 
mechanical and formal. This sacred union 
is determined between parents or guardians, 
and suitors, in a very business like manner. It 
looks very much like an ordinary contract, in which 
a man pays a stipulated amount and then obtains 
a right and title to his wife. Very little regard is 
had to suitability. *The idea of divorce among 
those people on the ground of a want of congenial- 
ity would never be thought of. Sometimes per- 
sons well advanced in life are espoused to mere 
children. The bride is seldom allowed to have any 
choice in the matter. Woman is not allowed to 
exercise any right in this important contract, in 
which her happiness is so vitally concerned. What- 
ever advantages may inhere in such a custom, we 
think that our own, open as they are to mistakes 
and abuses, are far preferable and better. With all 
our ill-advised, hasty, injudicious, and ill-assorted 
marriages, a vast deal more happiness and content- 
ment are secured under our customs than under 
those of the East. And were it not for our vicious 
•8 (113) 



114 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

literature, for a blamable neglect of due caution 
and instruction in regard to this important step in 
life from the pulpit and at the fireside, there would 
be fewer unhappy marriages, more domestic happi- 
ness, and a smaller number of divorces. There 
are many people who are unfit to marry. They 
have not the character or the habits which will en- 
able them to be good husbands and wives. Many 
are too indolent and shiftless and morally vicious 
to enter into this holy state. They are totally un- 
worthy of its sacred pledges and duties, and of its 
honors and joys. Marriage between such, means 
speedy regret, great unhappiuess, squalor, unfaith- 
fulness, and a ruined home. To enter into the mar- 
riage relationship with such persons, is the rashest 
and the worst folly. 

But let us return to Boaz and see how he con- 
ducted his suit for the hand of Ruth. Eager as he 
was to make her his wife, he would not take a 
mean advantage of the man who had a prior claim 
to his own. He was determined to act fairly and 
honorably in the matter. It takes a noble and a 
manly nature to place a prize so dear in possible 
jeopardy out of a sense of right and fairness to an- 
other. It is not always done. But nowhere does 
the spirit of true chivalry find a sterner test or a bet- 
ter field for the display of its greatness and honor. 

The procedure of Boaz was open and above-board. 
He called together the elders of the city, who con- 



BOOK OF RUTH. 115 

stituted a sort of court in cases of justice and equity, 
the very next day after he had acknowledged the 
justness of Ruth's claim. As was customary, this 
court met in the gate of the city, a public place, 
where cases were usually heard. It seems that 
Boaz was himself the chief officer of the city, and 
that he presided over the court which he had called 
together. Ten men from among the elders are 
chosen as witnesses. The only man who had a 
superior claim over him to the hand of Ruth, is 
brought forward. The case is stated to him, and 
an opportunity given him to discharge his duties 
as required by the law and claim the beautiful prize 
which went along with the act. Notwithstanding, 
he refuses to redeem the inheritance of his kinsman. 
All hindrances having now been removed, Boaz 
openly declared to the elders and the people, that 
he would discharge the obligations of the next 
nearest relative, redeem the property of Elimelech, 
and make Ruth his wife. And they were witnesses 
of the transaction. 

Here were true independence and noble man- 
hood. Boaz was not ashamed publicly to recognize 
and honor true worth in one who was lowly and 
without recognized social position. Ruth was poor. 
She was a widow and a stranger — a woman of an- 
other race — and therefore not regarded with favor 
by the friends and neighbors of Boaz. Besides this, 
she was a gleaner in his field* She occupied a posi- 



Il6 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

tion lower than one of his hired servants. She was 
rated among the dependent poor. But however 
humble her lot, Boaz has learned to know her ex- 
cellence of mind and character, and he fearlessly 
declares to the elders — the honorable men of his 
city — his purpose to marry her. What a sensation 
such an act usually produces! How people exclaim, 
and express their surprise and censure! But what 
is wrong in the act? A man of means and station 
marries a worthy young woman who is endowed 
with every womanly grace and excellence, — only 
she lacks fortune, and perhaps a distinguished 
family name. Is this, then, to be the standard 
for estimating the worth of a bride? Is a man's 
choice of a wife to be approved only on the ground 
of pecuniary and social advantages? Are not the 
graces of mind and heart far more valuable? 

Boaz would not allow his judgment of the merits 
of Ruth, or his relations to her, to be influenced and 
determined by a false sentiment. He did not at- 
tempt to conceal his attachment to a worthy 
woman or his union with her. His marriage with 
her was open and distinctly avowed. He was not 
ashamed of Ruth, because of her poverty and lack 
of social prestige. He saw in her character what 
was more precious than rubies, and he felt that in 
honoring her he honored himself. As a prominent 
citizen, he did a noble public service by showing 
appreciation for true worth. 



BOOK OF RUTH. 117 

We admire the generous frankness of Boaz. 
There was nothing hidden in his marriage. There 
ought to be no secret marriages. This important 
act should be done in the presence of witnesses. 
Such a custom would prove advantageous in many 
ways. The example before us is especially valu- 
able because it shows great care to have every- 
thing so understood and arranged as to make this 
marriage altogether legal, proper and honorable. 
No one should think of entering into this holy re- 
lationship either by deception, cunning, or fraud. 
A marriage alliance thus formed could never be 
satisfactory or happy. The treachery which brings 
it about would itself be a skeleton standing at the 
domestic hearth, and blighting its joy with its hor- 
rible grin. 

You will notice that the transaction at the gate 
of the city, though it involved the transfer of prop- 
erty from one person to another, was made without 
any written contract or deed. It was simply wit- 
nessed to by the elders. This was deemed suffi- 
cient. It was the usual way of disposing of property 
among these people. Without any further guar- 
antee or any instrument of writing, the purchaser 
held peaceable possession of his property. This 
fact shows a wholesome sentiment among them in 
regard to the right of ownership. With us, custom 
is different. A deed, or title, is necessary; and it 
is convenient also. But it is not necessary in all 



Il8 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

cases, in the sense that a transaction of this nature 
would not be safe without it. There are still men 
to be found whose word is as good as their bond, 
and who would never lay claim to property which 
they have sold, though they might have the legal 
pretext of a right. What they agree to, they do, 
and they would scorn to do a dishonorable or a dis- 
honest act. Yet in the complications of our social 
and civil life, legal papers are important and neces- 
sary, and should always be drawn up and given. 
Attention to this matter will guard against loss, 
and often prevent litigation, ill-will and wrong. 
It is safest and best to provide against disagreeable 
and hurtful contingencies. It should be the un- 
varying rule to take a receipt when you -settle your 
account, and to demand legal documents when you 
enter into transactions of any importance. This 
is the only safe way. He who neglects it is in 
danger of trouble and loss. Never do business on 
the easy terms of friendship, but on strictly busi- 
ness principles. 

Our attention is attracted by the simplicity of the 
marriage ceremony by which Boaz and Ruth were 
made man and wife. It was merely a declaration 
on his part, in the presence of witnesses, to make 
Ruth his wife. The word used by him is ^pur- 
chased." This is to us a harsh word when used in 
this connection. But it did not really have this 
hard, practical, unsentimental meaning in the mind 



BOOK OF RUTH. 1 19 

of Boaz or of those whom he addressed. The ^pur- 
chased" had reference more particularly to the 
property which he bought as a necessary condition 
to the marriage. The buying of the estate of 
Elimelech, and his immediate heirs, Chilion and 
Mahlon, now deceased, was only a means to an end. 
It was the main encumbrance to the marriageable 
prospects of Ruth. Without this "purchase," the 
marriage could not have been consummated. The 
only other part of the ceremony is the "blessing." 
It seems no priest was present to perform this act, 
but, we are told, "all the people that were in the 
gate, and all the elders, said, 'We are witnesses. ' " 
Then followed the good wishes, which are equiva- 
lent to a blessing pronounced by the whole congre- 
gation. The "blessing" was a very significant 
part of the ceremony. It not only expressed the 
good-will of the people, but it enlisted the Divine 
benevolence and aid in their favor. God's blessing 
should be invoked on all our transactions, but 
especially should it be sought in an engagement 
of such moment as the union of two persons in holy 
wedlock, an estate in which the continual care and 
favor of God are so much needed. 

Marriage is not the light and romantic thing 
which many thoughtless persons suppose it to be, 
but a very serious and important matter. No step 
in life involves, greater consequences, or has a 
stronger bearing on a man's success and happiness. 



120 REFLECTIONS ON THE 

It not only determines a man's career and status in 
this world, but it has immense influence in determ- 
ining what his state shall be in the world to come. 
I^et no one enter into the married state ''lightly or 
unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly and in the 
fear of God." 



There are sometimes providences which seem to 
us arbitrary. But they bear this appearance to us 
only because we are unacquainted with the causes 
and influences which enter into them. David, for 
instance, is selected from an obscure calling and 
anointed King of Israel. At the time of his anoint- 
ing, there appears no more reason for choosing him 
for his honorable and responsible position than a 
thousand others. But in the light of events we 
may discover sufficient reasons for this choice. He 
had the prowess, the patriotism and the godly fear 
and trust, which fitted him for the gigantic task 
of subduing the enemies of his people, establishing 
the throne of the house of Judah, and giving a new 
impulse to the religious life and the national hopes 
of Israel. Ruth and Boaz were his great-grandpar- 
ents. In their honorable lives and noble charac- 
ters, we can trace the elements of greatness which 
would make them capable of being the ancestors of 
illustrious kings. David was chosen king because 
God saw in him a noble and a devout spirit. And 



BOOK OF RUTH. 121 

the piety, the courage, the endurance, the decision 
of character which he displayed, were already in 
the heart of his noble great-grandmother, as ap- 
pears from her heroic conduct when she chose the 
Lord for her God, and in obedience to that choice, 
left her kindred and native land to dwell with the 
people of God; from her patient submission to the 
Divine will when she w T as bereft of her husband 
and left to toil in sorrow and loneliness for her 
daily bread; from her noble life, her exalted char- 
acter and her unwavering trust in God. David 
sprang from a God-fearing and a praying ancestry. 
In due time God put increasing honors on the 
name of Ruth. So we sometimes see persons sud- 
denly loom up into prominence, and we are tempted 
to think that it is accidental, or fortuitous; or that 
God is partial, and confers special favors on an elect 
class of persons. But we do not know the ante- 
cedents of these fortunate ones. Washington 
would never have gained his eminent place in his- 
tory but for the prayers and counsels of his wise 
and devoted mother. In God's providences, effects 
have their causes. Great men rise from a fountain 
which lies back of them, and high up among the 
sublime cliffs of truth, righteousness and godly 
fear. This high source of greatness is maternal 
rather than paternal. Eminent men owe their dis- 
tinction to their mothers more than to their fathers. 
The house of David had its highest spring in Ruth. 



122 REFLECTIONS. 

The lineage of Boaz and Ruth is very interesting 
and instructive. The former was the son of Ra- 
hab, the Canaanitess who protected the spies whom 
Joshua had sent out to gain information concerning 
the people of Canaan. His mother was, therefore, 
a woman of Canaan, and his father a Jew. Ruth 
was a daughter of Moab, and also of a nation who 
were not among God's chosen people. Thus there 
was mingled in the veins of the royal line of David, 
the blood of the nations which, for the time, were 
excluded from the Divine promise. This mingled 
blood of Israel and of the Pagan world flowed in 
the veins of Mary, the lineal descendant of David 
and the mother of Jesus. In this natural blending 
of races, we have an intimation of God's purpose 
to redeem and save men of every nation, both Jews 
and Gentiles, who call on His name and accept 
His grace. This purpose has been fully declared 
in the Gospel: Whosoever believes on the Son of 
God shall be saved. 



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